The Chronicles of Life and Death
by TheClassicCrime1
Summary: Peter and Susan were always destined to come to Middle Earth and help the Fellowship destroy the Ring.But what happens when their destinies change and lead the two down a road they did not wish to take?More than adventure awaits them in Middle Earth.
1. Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking

**New test run for a story! **

**Okay, a little background information before we get started. This is after Prince Caspian and during the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. So at the same time that Peter and Susan are in Narnia, Lucy and Ed are in Narnia again. And, I decided to use the movie version of Prince Caspian for the Pevensie's to refer back to. I loved the Susan/Caspian pairing and I thought I would be able to incorpate that into this story (As inspiration, Caspian will not be in this story at all, though he is mentioned in it.) Um...I think that is basically all you need to know for now...I hope you like it. I feel like there is not enough LOTR/Narnia crossovers even though these worlds mesh so well together. **

**PS. Sorry if there are mistakes in the Lord of The Rings facts. I won't even pretend that I am an expert at that series because I am not. **

**Welcome to The Chronicles of Life and Death. **

It all started with a prophecy.

In the time of Sauron's first rise to power Lady Galandriel had a vision of the future. A vision of two powerful siblings from the race of men that would come to save all of Middle Earth from the ring of power and it's master. These two siblings would carry their own special magic inside of them that most of Middle Earth had forgotten long ago. One would be magnificent and brave while the other would be gentle but carry the heart of a warrior inside of her. Both would have purpose in this world and become the Great Defenders that Middle Earth needed.

It all started with a prophecy.

Lady Galandriel told her vision to Isildur, King of Gondor and the man who defeated Sauron. The king did not believe in her vision. Isildur believed that Sauron was dead and gone, never to return to power. These two siblings would never come because they would never be needed.

Seasons changed and years passed and Lady Galandriel's prophecy was long forgotten to the race of men. That is until one man stepped from the shadows and woke the memories of his kind from their slumber.

It all started with a prophecy,

And this is what became of it...

* * *

Susan Pevensie was standing on the viewing deck of the _Sea Queen. _She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the warm ocean wind blew across her face. For a second, it felt as if she were actually back in Narnia....but that would be completely impossible.

The girl's eyes shot open to see the sun rise on the horizon. The oranges and pinks from the sky mixed into the gentle blues of the water to make a scene so beautiful that it looked like she were staring at a painting.

No matter how lovely the horizon was, however, it would still not be anything like the views she had seen in lands unknown to most. It had been almost six months since her and her siblings left Narnia. For Susan and Peter, it was their last time in the beautiful country; their country.

Aslan told them that they would not be returning to Narnia. He said that they had learned all they needed to in this world and it was time for them to live in theirs.

No matter how much Susan tried to understand this, she could not help but feel resentment toward the Noble Lion. Aslan once said "once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king and queen of Narnia" but it felt as if that title had been ripped away from her. Susan felt like she was being punished for something, what it was she didn't know, but it was painfully obvious that she had done something wrong.

Susan sighed. She could barely think about Narnia anymore. Lately, it seemed easier to pretend that it was all just a game that her and her siblings would play while living with Professor Kirke. Lately, Lucy was constantly talking of Tumnus and wondering how Prince Caspian was doing.

The name Caspian alone was enough to drive Susan insane. The two of them never even had a chance to be together because she had to leave. Sure, they had had something connect between them in Narnia but it couldn't have lasted, Susan knew that. Despite knowing this, she was constantly plagued with the question of "What if?".

What If she had stayed with Caspian? What if her and the rest of her family hadn't stumbled back through the wardrobe during their first stay in Narnia?

With Lucy around, the "what if" questions grew and grew until Susan could not take it anymore. Susan loved her sister, but she couldn't handle the talk of Narnia anymore.

She knew Peter felt the same way. The boy had become angry and withdrawn from his two younger siblings since their return to England. Both of them wanted to escape the memories and stories of their old lives.

So that is how Peter ended up back at Professor Kirke's for the summer holiday while Susan decided to take a trip to American with her parents.

That's how she ended up on that boat, on that deck, staring out at that sun. The girl put her forearms against the rail and leaned against it. Her eyes closed again and she relaxed. All was quiet around her.

It was then that Susan felt a rumbling under her feet. Her eyes shot open and began to scan her surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place, yet the rumbling worsened. What was happening?

Susan grasped tightly to the rail as the ground beneath her feet began to shake with such intensity that she felt as if an earthquake was taking place within the water.

Seconds later, a sudden jolt pushed against her back. She spun around to see who or what was attacking but nothing came at her on the lonely deck.

Susan was terrified. She didn't know what was happening or what to do about it. Should she call for help?

Another jolt hit her, threatening to push her off the deck. She held on tighter until her knuckles turned a pale shade of white. With one last push at her back, Susan's hands were wretched from the railing and she sailed over the edge of the large ship and started plummeting down through the air.

Down and down she fell like Alice in the rabbit hole. As she looked down at the water that would be the death of her, she began to scream out in horror.

A second before she was to hit the roaring waters of the Atlantic, the scenery around her began to change. The blues of the water became green grass and the pale pink sky turned to a clear blue. With an abrupt, startling thud, Susan made contact to grass instead of water.

"Ugh." She said to herself upon her stomach making impact with the hard ground. The breath was knocked from her lungs and she gasped for air until she felt normal again.

The girl slowly sat up and took in the area around her. She, obviously, was not in the freezing depths of the Atlantic Ocean but in a forest heavily wooded with large red oaks. If she hadn't known it was impossible she would have thought she was back in Narnia.

With a shaky sigh, Susan stood up and began to brush the grass off of herself. It was then that the girl realized that she was not in the skirt and jumper she had been in on the passenger liner but now clothed in a dress the color of the midnight sky. The scoop neckline was semi-low and the sleeves were tight around her wrists but for the most part it was comfortable. She smoothed out the fabric of the dress and stopped around her stomach when she felt a leather strap.

She furrowed her eyebrows and reached to touch her back. Susan smiled to herself when her hand made contact with her bow. She pulled it, along with a red tipped arrow, out of her quiver and studied them. The bow was beautifully crafted out of willow with an intricate design all around it. This was the bow that Father Christmas had given to her on their first trip to Narnia and it was the best present she had ever received.

How she had missed that bow. With it in her grasp Susan felt empowered and untouchable. It was hard for anyone to get near her with this bow in hand and that feeling gave comfort to Susan now...

Because she was alone.

Susan looked up from the bow and at her surroundings once more. Where was she? The girl would not dare wish to hope that she was back in Narnia, not after what Aslan had said. But Aslan was the only one who had the power to take her from her world and put her in a new one.

Even if he did want her back in Narnia, where were the rest of her siblings? Peter, Edmund, and Lucy surely would have been here with her, wouldn't they? Susan had no clue.

What she did know, however, was that she could not stay in those woods for much longer. The sky above her was growing dark and night would soon be upon her. She had to try and find shelter or else she would be sleeping under the protection of a tree which she didn't particularly want to do. She didn't know where she was, there could be murders of thieves in these woods.

Making up her mind, she picked a random direction and began to walk.

The forest was breathtaking. The grass under Susan's feet was simply the perfect shade of green and the trees surrounding her on all sides were old and still healthy.

Leaves crunched under her feet as she continued to walk, still no sight of life around her. No animals, humans, or any other creature stirred in the silent forest. It was just Susan.

The girl walked for what seemed like hours and was about to give up hope of finding civilization when the trees began to slowly thin out. Becoming hopeful, Susan began to run. Soon enough, she saw glowing flames illuminate the night sky and she knew she had made it to the destination that she did not know she was looking for.

Minutes later, she came to the outer wall of the quiet little town. It looked like a rundown little place but,to be polite, Susan thought of it as "quaint". The girl walked around the barrier slowly, trying to find the entrance into the town. Susan rounded a corner and there she saw the way in.

She walked over and felt confused when she saw the large, wooden door wide open. That was strange. What was the purpose of having a large fence surrounding the town when it is so easy to get into it? Something seemed wrong to her. Susan pursed her lips as she studied the situation.

The town radiated the feeling of eeriness that made chills run down Susan's back but what other choice did she have but to enter?

There were no other options besides braving the forest for the night and going into the town seemed less risky than her other choice. Drawing her bow and notching an arrow into it, Susan slowly advanced into the town she had now identified as Bree thanks to the sign on the gate door.

She was cautious and alert as she went further and further into Bree. The streets were empty of people or any life for that matter. With the streets so lonely, Susan grew more uneasy. Something was wrong here but it was too late to turn back now.

Susan walked down the cobbled side allies until she came upon what she assumed to be the main street. Like every other road she had been on, this one was deserted. But unlike the other streets, this one had several inns, any of which would prove a decent enough place for Susan to get some rest.

She decided to try the one closest to her called the Prancing Pony. The name of the inn was ridiculous but Susan didn't think she should be too particular on which one she chose. After all, a bed was a bed anywhere you went.

She walked over to the building and took noticed that the door was already open. She peered in and saw that the pub was empty and all the lights were off. Her forehead wrinkled. Had she stumbled into a ghost town? She was about to take step in when a hand came up from behind and cupped over her mouth, another snaked around her waist. She started to work up a good scream when a male voice whispered into her ear. "Keep silent," It said.

She, surprisingly, did as requested but still continued to struggle against the man. His grip on her tightened slightly as he picked her up from the ground and started to drag her from the inn. The man continued to drag her until he came to the building across the street. He tugged the door open with one hand while keeping his other firmly in front of Susan's mouth. He pulled her in and shut the door as quietly as he could behind them. Once inside, he leaned against the door and held Susan against him; her back to his chest. He waited a second more, as if listening for something, before speaking. "Listen to me. I am not going to harm you," He said calmly.

Susan somehow doubted that seeing as he just attacked her and dragged her into this inn against her will. Her instincts began to kick in and she decided to do what came naturally to a girl. With one swift motion, she kicked her foot back and it made contact with the man's groin.

He left go of her in his pain. The man's hands fell from her and she jolted from his grasp. Susan quickly held up her bow, that she now realized she was still carrying, and pointed it at her capturer's face.

The man stood straight once again as the pain faded to look at Susan. He put his hands up in surrender as he looked at the arrow directed at his face.

"Who are you?" She demanded to know.

The man raised his eyebrows at the intensity and bravery this small young woman carried inside of her. He could tell that she was a warrior.

"My name is of no importance but you may call me Strider," He informed.

"Why did you attack me?" Susan asked.

The man frowned. "I did not attack you-"

"Answer the question," She cut him off. It was true that Susan's title was the Gentle Queen but that did not mean that she was not unyielding. Peter and Edmund taught her well in the ways of defense during their rein in Narnia, just in case something, Aslan forbid, was to happen.

Strider kept his cool while choosing his words. "The Nazgul are in that inn looking for something. If you would have gone in there they would not have hesitated to slaughter you. I watched as you came down the street and when you turned to enter the Prancing Pony I had no choice but to come get you."

"Where am I?" She asked, hoping to get an idea of whether she was in the world of Narnia or not.

The man tilted his head at her but answered nonetheless. "You are in the town of Bree, right on the outskirts of the Shire, "

Susan wrinkled her forehead. So she wasn't in Narnia or any of the countries of that world for there were no places called the Shire there.

The dark haired girl thought about what had happened: she was sent to another universe that was completely foreign to her and she was alone without her siblings. Why would Aslan do this to her?

Suddenly, Strider's words broke through the veil of her thoughts. "You need not fear me, Lady. I swear it."

Susan contemplated his words as she studied Strider's face. The man had dark brown curly hair that was cut an inch above his shoulder. By the looks of it, he had not shaved in over a week and was travel worn. But despite his unkept appearance, his deep, soulful brown eyes were pure.

It was his eyes that made Susan decided to trust his words. She dropped her bow slowly and nodded her head.

The man smiled. "Come with me."

Strider leaped from the his position by the door and dashed up the stairs. Susan's eyes followed him up as she thought over what she was about to do. Mother would kill her if she knew that she was in an inn with a grown man. But, he had promised her that he meant her no harm.

So, forgetting her upbringing completely, Susan followed him. He was waiting at the top of the stairs for her when she reached them.

Strider nodded his head at her before going down the short hallway and opening the door on the end, closest to the street they had just been on.

Susan entered the room after him and saw that four single beds resided in it. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that all the beds was occupied by a small child.

"Are they yours?" Susan asked, nodding to the children.

Strider looked at the beds then chuckled lightly. "No, I cannot say that they are."

Susan wrinkled her forehead, wondering to herself what the man was doing with four children that were not his own. He didn't strike her as a kidnapper so there must have been a logical reason for him to be caring for them.

Susan saw that Strider bypassed all the beds and went to sit on the window ledge that gave a clear view of the Prancing Pony across the street. Susan watched Strider as he watched the inn with intense eyes.

Suddenly, a piercing cry filled the air, followed by several more. Susan's blue eyes jumped down to the entrance of the Prancing Pony just in time to see four cloaked figures emerge from the inn.

Susan gasped. They looked as if they were men at one time but the things she saw below her were...hallow, like all life had been sucked from them and nothing remained but shells of the people they used to be.

"These are the Nazgul?" Susan asked, eyes still glued to the creatures.

Strider nodded but she did not see it. "They used to be great kings of men...before they were consumed with the need for power and now that is what they hunt."

"And they hunt it here? In this small town? Why would they think that great power would reside here?"

Outside the window, the creatures screeched bloody murder before jumping onto black horses that hadn't been there seconds earlier. One of the Nazgul, whom Susan assumed to be the leader, lifted his sword, shrieked, and took off down the dark street followed by the others. Susan watched them take their leave until their dark cloaks were swallowed by the night that surrounded them.

Strider stood up and turned to Susan who stood a good foot shorter than his tall frame. He studied her for a moment as if searching for something in her eyes. "Where are you from?"

Susan bit her lip and looked down at her feet. Should she tell him? It would probably sound crazy if she told him that she was from a completely different world and brought to this one by magic. But then again, this world had things like the Nazgul and that in it's self seemed magical to Susan.

Susan decided to just play it safe. "Not from around these parts," She said honestly.

Strider cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, I can tell..." He drifted off as he continued to study her.

She felt uncomfortable under his gaze. "What?" She snapped at him rather rudely.

Strider smiled. "There is something you are not telling me. Am I correct, Lady...?"

"Susan," she gave him her name.

"Am I correct, Lady Susan?"

She bit her lip again, something she was accustomed to doing when thinking things over. Susan took a deep breath. "I'm not sure if I can trust you yet, Strider...In fact, I'm not sure of a lot of things right now."

The man smiled sincerely. "I understand that you hardly know me but, My Lady, I cannot help you unless tell me what you are not, for I fear that those are the things I must know in order to keep you safe."

Susan wrinkled her forehead. "And what makes you think that I am in any sort of danger?"

"You are carrying weapons, Lady. A woman would not do that if no one was after her."

Susan pursed her lips. In all honesty, she did not know why her bow was with her. The only reason Aslan would have sent her to this world with her bow was if he thought she would need to use it.

_What should I do, Aslan? Should I tell this stranger about my siblings and I? I need your guidance. _She thought, hoping the Great Lion would hear her silent words. A second passed by when she felt the answer fill her. Aslan didn't speak, but she felt his presence around her and that was enough of an answer for her.

The dark haired girl looked back up at Strider who was waiting patiently in front of her. She took a calming, deep breath before going into her tale. "My name is Queen Susan the Gentle and I am not of your world."

* * *

Susan spent the better part of two hours explaining her story to Strider who clung to every words she spoke. She told him of the Pevenise's first trip to Narnia and how they ended the Hundred Year Winter and defeated the White Witch. She told him of her and her siblings rule as the Kings and Queens of Narnia and how all of that was snatched away from them when they stumbled back through the wardrobe.

She then went on to explain that they found themselves back in Narnia for a second time and helped Caspian get the crown he deserved by defeating his Uncle and the Talmarine army. She purposely left out the details of her and Caspian's relationship because the pain was still too near her heart for her to explain.

All she had said amazed Strider. "And you are here by the power of magic? Because a lion sent you here?" He asked, somewhat skeptical.

Susan smiled small. "I did not expect you to believe my story, Sir. If it hadn't happened to me, I know I wouldn't have either."

Strider shook his head. "It is not that I don't believe in it....I'm confused as to what the purpose was," He said. The man placed his chin on top of his fist and became lost in his thoughts. Seconds later, his head shot up and his eyes snapped over to one of the beds that held one of the children. Susan eyes and snapped over too and she could not see the boy's face as she looked at him because his back was turned from her but she could see a head of dark, curly hair poking out from the wool blankets.

"It cannot be..." Strider muttered to himself as his dark brown eyes widen in the direction of the child.

"What is it?" Susan asked as she too studied the boy in the bed.

"The ring..." He whispered to the air.

Susan's eyebrow furrowed up more than they already were. "The ring? I'm sorry, I do not know what you are talking about-"

Strider turned to her and stared in amazement. "You are it?" He asked in disbelief. The man began to pace and rub his chin. "It cannot be...The prophecy was supposed to be wrong...Lord Sauron was destroyed..." He looked up at her. "But here you stand and...and it cannot be."

Susan just stood there, not knowing what to say to a man she believed just lost his mind. "Strider, what are you talking about?"

Strider just looked at her and shook his head, bewildered. "You are the one who is supposed to help us destroy it."

Susan frowned. "Destroy what?"

Strider paused and looked at the boy again. "The ring of power," He stated simply.

Susan felt a shudder run through her body at the sound of those words.

Nothing was making sense to her. She came to Middle Earth to help it's people destroy a piece of jewelry? "You mentioned a prophecy of some sort earlier...what was that about?" She questioned.

Strider proceeded to repeat the prophecy that was carved into stone thousands upon thousands of years ago. Susan's mouth dropped open slightly as she heard the words. A Great Defender? That was what she was?

"But it must have been mistaken. It said that there would be two of you. 'Two siblings of the race of men'," He said, trying to figure out what was happening too.

Susan bit her lip. "From what you said, it was referring to my older brother, Peter," She said looking down. "It said one would be magnificent and brave, yes? Well, my brother's title was Hight King Peter the Magnificent and I have never meet a man more brave than he." She paused as she realized what it meant. "If I am here, that must mean that Peter is somewhere in Middle Earth, as well."

Her head shot up as she became aware of what that meant; Peter could be in danger. "We must find him!"

She began to panic at the thought of Peter being alone in Middle Earth just like she had been. What if he stumbled across the Nazgul and there was no one to help him like it would have been for her if Strider hadn't been across the street from the Prancing Pony? It was too much for her to think about. Peter was her best friend and older brother, she had to find him and make sure he was safe.

Susan quickly began to strap her quiver and bow onto her back; she had taken it off earlier and she was now mentally cursing herself for it. She could have just run out if it had stayed in it's rightful place. She was about to walk out the door when Strider grabbed her wrist.

"Lady, are you insane? You cannot go out looking for your brother," He said, trying to reason with her.

Susan spun around to look at him. The girl narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I can and I will, Sir. I cannot just leave him out there by himself! He has no idea what is going on or why he is here. I have to find Peter!" She yelled, causing one of the children to shoot straight up in their bed, frightened at the sudden noise

She looked over at him and gasped slightly when she saw that the child was no child at all. In fact, it was a man with red hair. To Susan's eyes his face looked to be in it's mid to late twenties but then again, his body was that of a four year olds. What could he possibly be? A beardless dwarf perhaps?

The man...or boy...or dwarf or whatever he was looked around before his eyes came to land on Susan. He smiled sleepily. "Oh, we have company."

Susan wrinkled her eyebrows at him before shaking her head and looking back at Strider. "Thank you for your hospitality but I must go."

She spun around and headed for the door once more only to get stopped by Strider again. He raced to the door and blocked her path. "Susan, think about this. It is the middle of the night and the Nazgul are still out there somewhere. If you go out into the woods looking for Peter, there is a very good possibility that you will be harmed and then you will be no help for your brother nor Middle Earth then,"

Susan stared the older man down. She wanted nothing more that to kick him again but her logical brain was telling her that it was not wise and that he was right. Peter could be anywhere in this world and she would have no clue where to even begin looking.

"I promise you, we will find him," Strider said through the clouds of her thoughts.

The girl looked up at him. "How?"

"My companions and I are traveling to Rivendell in the morning. The lord of the city is a powerful elf that might be able to assist us in finding your brother."

Susan raised an eyebrow at him. "Elves? I am supposed to put my brother's safety in the hands of elves?" The girl had an image in her mind of Santa's elves; short, pointy-eared creatures that made toys. She really had no idea that the elves of Middle Earth were stunning, wise, and ancient creatures.

"Do not be so hasty to judge what you do not know the first thing about," Strider warned her.

Susan dropped her eyes, feeling guilty. Silence passed through the room for a moment before Susan decided to speak again. "And you truly believe that they will be able to help me?"

Strider nodded his head slowly and surely. Susan did the same.

"Then I suppose that I will be joining you in your travels, that is, if you'll have me," She said, slightly embarrassed about her over-reaction earlier.

"Of course, we will have you!" The boy in the bed said as he jumped up from his position and rushed over to where Susan and Strider stood. Susan noticed now that he was no taller than four foot. "Won't we, Strider?" The boy asked with a gleaming smile.

Susan looked from the boy to the older man. He stayed quiet and thoughtful for a second before answering. "It will be our honor." Strider paused. "Get some rest, Lady. We leave at dawn."

**Tell me what you think and if I should continue. Thanks for reading! **


	2. Strange and Beautiful

**Disclaimer- I disclaim Narnia and Lord of the Rings.**

**Thank you to every one who has read and reviewed the first chapter of this story. Since it got very positive feedback, I will be continuing it. **

**Here comes chapter two!**

Peter woke to find himself in a bed unlike the one he had fallen asleep in the night before. The boy shot straight up as that thought registered in his mind and he looked around his surrounding, trying to see if he should begin panicing.

The room was large and airy. The gray, brick walls held no pictures on them but there was a large window across from the bed he had previously been laying in. He stepped over to the window and looked down.

Peter's eyes widened at what he saw. A large city lay below him, but this was unlike any city he had ever seen before: this city was carved from marble. It was a white city and it was truly a marvelous sight to see.

Where was he? How had he gotten there?

It was clear to him that this was not Earth so it could only mean he was sent somewhere else. But if this was true, where were his siblings?

The sound of a door clicking open came from behind him and Peter spun to see who entered. Before him stood a man, who could be no older than thirty-five, with reddish-blonde hair that was cut just above the shoulders. He wore a tunic of rich green velvet that clearly showed his high ranking. The man took a step into the room. He held his hands behind his back and carried himself confidently.

"Good to see you awake, my young friend." The man smiled at Peter.

Peter narrowed his eyes at the man, not sure as to whether he should trust him or not. "Thank you," He said. Peter paused for a second before asking the question on his mind. "Can you tell me where I am, My Lord?"

The man smiled at him. "You are in Minas Tirith and what a pleasant day for you to come to us for we have just celebrated the recapture of our neighboring city of Osgiliath."

Peter stared at the man as if he had just spoken gibberish. Never before had he heard of such strange titles for cities, he couldn't possibly be in Calormen, could he? For that is the only country that he could think of that would have such names for places.

He continued to ponder this thought until he remembered his last visit to Narnia and Aslan's words began to ring into his ears once more.

Peter pursed his lips; he was not in Narnia nor any of it's neighboring countries. He also knew that he was not currently in England or on his home universe, for that matter. Since he wasn't on Earth and he wasn't in Narnia then that could only mean that he was on in an entirely different world than any he had been on before.

"Are you feeling alright, lad? I found you alone and unconscious by the river Anduin the day before last. You have been asleep ever since..." The man trailed off as he looked at Peter and the confused expression he currently had on his face. "Have you lost your memory of this?" He asked, thinking that perhaps the confused expression derived from not being able to remember what happened to him. The expression playing on Peter's features were not due to memory lost but for knowing that his brother and sisters were not with him; wherever he was he was there alone.

Peter looked back out the window and sighed. He didn't feel like explaining that he was brought to this land from another. It was an extremely complicated story and he some how doubted that the man would believe him. Perhaps it would just be easier to fake amnesia for the time being so no questions would be asked about him? If and when he chose to tell his tale, he would simply say he gained his memories back.

It was a horrid plan but a plan nonetheless.

Peter turned back to the man. "Yes, I believe I have lost my memories," He said, looking down and pursing his lips.

The man smiled at him and came over to Peter, clasping a hand on his shoulder. "Well, my friend, you will stay here until they return to you. Until then, I believe this belongs with you." The man took his other hand from behind his back and presented an old friend to Peter.

Rhindon, Peter's beautifully crafted sword given to him by Father Christmas, lay gracefully in the man's hands. Slowly, almost timidly, Peter took the sword from the man and unsheathed it. Rhindon shone in the morning light radiating in from the window and gleamed majestically.

"A sword like this is not easy to come by. You must have been someone of importance to receive such a beautiful gift." The man told him, also admiring the weapon in Peter's hand.

Peter smiled as he remembered all that he and Rhindon had done together when he was High King of Narnia. "Yes, perhaps I was at one time..." He trailed off as he continued to study the sword.

A second later, Peter placed his sword back into it's scabbard and hooked it onto the leather belt around his waist. It was then that he realized that he was in a red tunic and breeches tucked into black leather boots.

Peter looked back up at the man next to him and nodded his thanks.

The man did the same. "My name is Boromir, lad. And you are welcome in my city as long as it takes for you to get well and long after if you chose to stay,"

"Thank you," Peter said politely and thoughtfully. Now, all he had to figure out was how long he would be there and why he came in the first place. Aslan help him.

* * *

"Keep up, Hobbits! No breaks until nightfall," Strider yelled back at the four boys dredging behind him and Susan. They had only left Bree an hour earlier and already the hobbits were tired.

The four boys collectively groaned as they tried desperately to keep their feet moving at a reasonable pace that would please Strider. The man said that it would take close to a week for them to reach Rivendell and he wanted to get there in all haste. Apparently, it was of the utmost importance because of the ring Frodo carried around his neck; it was the Ring of Power and it was what Susan was destined to help destroy.

Susan pursed her lips as she looked back at Frodo and the way he clutched the ring he wore on a chain around his neck. "Why can't we just melt it? Surely there is a blacksmith or someone who could throw the Ring into a fire and melt it down into liquid nothing," Susan said logically.

Strider gave her a side long glance before looking forward at the path ahead. "If it was that easy, Lady, we would have done it already." He smirked. "The Ring was forged in the fires of Mordor and that is where it must be unmade," Strider informed.

"Morder..." Susan said to herself more than Strider.

"It is a place of great evil that Sauron calls his own. It is not a place one would like to find themselves in," He explained.

Susan nodded, thoughtful. They continued on in silence until the hobbits began to complain about being hungry.

"When are we going to have breakfast?" The red haired one from the night before, named Pippin, asked.

Susan turned to set him with a puzzled look. "We already had it."

"Ah, but that was just first breakfast. It is time for second breakfast now," Pippin's best friend, Merry, informed her with a knowing smile.

Susan's forehead wrinkled up and she turned to look at Strider who looked just as perplexed by the hobbit's stomachs as she was. The man shook his head and began digging around in his bag.

A second later, his hand pulled out two apples. He threw them to Merry and Pippin. Merry caught his against his chest, semi-startled by the thing flying at his face. Pippin wasn't as lucky. He didn't realize anything was happening until the apple hit him square in the forehead. Susan laughed as the hobbit looked at the piece of fruit at his feet as if it was an alien object to him. A few seconds more passed by until he smiled and picked the apple up. Taking a bite, he began to walk again.

Susan smiled as she turned back to watch where she was going. Everyone walked on in silence for some time, thinking.

That morning Strider had knocked on the door to wake her up-he had gotten her her own room the night before- and said that they were leaving in five minutes. Since Susan had nothing but the clothes on her back and her bow and arrows she got up, tided her hair up, and strapped her bow on her back before going into the other room where the four hobbits were slowly waking.

"Who's she?" Asked the rather chubby one.

Susan just smiled and waited for Strider to introduce her. The man looked up from the bag that he was packing. He directed his gaze at Susan and then the hobbits. "This is Susan and she will be coming with us on our journey.

"Why?" Asked the dark, curly headed boy. This hobbit had something abnormal about him, Susan noted. His eyes held dark semicircles under them as if he hadn't rested in weeks and his eyes looked old, as if he had seen several life times.

"That is none of your concern for the time being," Strider said with a warning glare at the four hobbits. "Now, let's head out."

The sun was barely over the horizon as the six of them made their way of the sleepy town of Bree.

And they had been walking ever since.

Time went slowly as they continued on their journey over hills and through vallies. The hobbies talked nonstop where as Susan and Strider kept quiet and alert.

Susan felt as if Strider and herself were cut from the same fabric. Both were quiet unless something important was needed to be said. He was serious, just like Susan had become since her last trip to Narnia. She was not allowed back to the mythical land and that forced her to grow up at a rapid rate. It all honesty, she wished she could have stayed, if not to be with Caspian, then just to be able to be free and act childish once more.

Susan also noticed how wise Strider's eyes were. Little did she know that Strider also noticed that her blue eyes hinted to knowing more than someone of her years should. The two were silent for a better part of the day.

Strider was busy navigating while Susan took in the beautiful landscape that was Middle Earth. It was not very unlike Narnia but to her even the subtle differences between the worlds were colossal.

Susan noted that the trees in this land were very still, as if they did not dance at all. It was plausible that the trees here, in fact, did not dance but it just seemed...sad to think about.

"Are you alright, Lady?" Strider inquired from next to her.

Susan jumped, startled by his sudden words, then smiled over at the man. "I'm fine and please just call me Susan."

Strider cocked an eyebrow at her. "But you are a queen, I would not feel comfortable addressing you so informally."

Susan chuckled, took an arrow out it's holder, and began twirling it absentmindedly. "I haven't been a queen in many years...When my siblings and I went to Narnia the second time thirteen hundred years had passed. The people of Narnia called us The Kings and Queens of Old and now more time has passed. I fear that we have fallen from grace and out of the peoples' memories."

Strider smiled slightly and shook his head. "What?" Susan asked.

"The shining beacon in the world of men is known as Gondor," Strider started. "This country has not had a king since many decades ago."

"What happened?" Susan inquired.

"The line was broken," The man stated simply. "The last king of Gondor was a fool. He was the man that defeated Sauron during his rise to power. But after it's master was destroyed, the ring's power consumed the king and he could not bear to part with it. After that, he was lost."

"What happened to him? This king?" Susan said, engulfed in the man's story.

"He was ambushed by a band of orcs one day and inevitably killed."

Susan did not know what an orc was but it sounded simply awful. She had many questions about these things but put them into the back of her mind. "All because of that small ring?" She asked, throwing a glance over her shoulder at Frodo.

"Even the most noble of men can fall under the One Ring's spell." He paused. "So, as you can see, Gentle Queen, this king of Gondor deserved to be forgotten about. From what you have told me of you adventures and what I know of the prophecy you have done nothing worthy of being written out of the history books."

Susan looked down at her arrow and blushed. "Thank you for your kind words but in all honesty you do not know me and therefore cannot say such things."

Strider looked over at her then back in front of him. "My apologies."

Susan nodded, thinking of all she had done in her life that was worthy of being forgotten. She was only human, she knew that, but she also knew that the people of Narnia deserved more from her.

She didn't believe in Lucy when she said she found Narnia and again when they came back the second time and Lucy insisted that she saw Aslan. Susan thought of her rein in Narnia during the Golden Age and hated the fact that a war between Narnia and Calormen happened due to the sole fact that she rejected the cruel prince of Calormen.

It was all worth forgetting in Susan's eyes.

"We shall rest here for the night," Strider informed Susan and the hobbits hours later. The blue eyed girl looked up to see a hill of sorts in front of her.

"Where are we?" One of the hobbits, Sam, asked Strider.

"The Watchtower of Weathertop, Master hobbit," Strider answered as he began to climb up the steep path that led to said watchtower. Susan followed him up with the four hobbits right behind her.

Strider stopped on a wide part of the the path up to the tower, looked around, and nodded. "Set up camp here," He instructed. "We can see miles around from this point."

The hobbits did what they were told and began to unpack the things they would need for the night. Seeing as Susan had nothing but the clothes she wore on her person and the bow, she stood with Strider as he looked out over the larger plain that stretched in front of them.

"Do you know how to use that?" He asked, motioning to the bow on her back.

Susan felt like going off on him, wondering where he came off asking a question as ridiculous as that but the rules of society that her mother so loved to pound into her brain restrained her. Instead, she opted to speak calmly. "Quite well."

Strider nodded. "In case anything were to happen, I would feel more comfortable if you carried this with you too." The older man handed her a light sword fit for a teenage boy learning to fight. She took it from him and studied the blade; it had a curved shape and seemed to be able to do the job well despite how much it looked like a toy. "Do you-"

"My brothers taught me well, Sir. I can hold my own with a blade," Susan said, cutting him off. The girl did not want to feel incompetent once again as if her gender made her incapable of protecting herself.

"Of course," Strider said with a hint of humor on his face. It was almost as if he was only asking these questions to get a rise out of her but Susan knew that he was too much of a gentleman to do that. "I am going to go take a look around. Watch the hobbits?"

Susan nodded her head surely; Strider did the same. The man went back down the path that they came up earlier and disappeared into the growing darkness a moment later. Susan turned back to the ledge of the cliff they were on and watched the plain in front of her. Miles and miles of bare land lay below and not a single soul in sight.

Susan's head then turned up to the sky and stared at the vast space filled with stars. "They are beautiful, are they not?" A small voice floated up to her ears. Susan turned and looked down to see Frodo next to her, staring up at the same stars.

"They are," Susan stated. "Almost magical, really."

The curly haired boy chuckled. "A star is nothing more than a ball of fire burning up in black space, Miss Susan."

Susan studied the hobbit next to her. "There is magic all around us, Frodo. You of all people should understand that." She pointed to her chest, referring to the ring that Frodo wore close to his own.

The hobbit drew his hand up and quickly clutched at the ring of power. He sighed, pursed his lips, and nodded before overlooking the plains once more.

The two were quiet for a moment, taking in the peaceful terrain before them. It took a moment for Susan to realize that she heard the crackling of a fire and the smell of smoke coming from behind her. It was at the same time that Frodo noticed the same things. Both of them spun around to see that the other hobbits had managed to get a fire going.

"Would you like some sausage?" Sam asked the two as they stared at him with a mixture of terror and anger spread across their faces.

A second later, Susan snapped out of her shock and went over to put out the fire. She grabbed a blanket and quickly threw it over the top of the flames. "Are you three mad!?" She asked, her tone full of rage.

"What?" Pippin asked, the face of innocence.

"Anyone within miles of the tower could see that burning!" Frodo said, equally as mad as Susan.

The three other hobbits looked at each other confusedly before turning back to Frodo and Susan. Sam was the one who ended up speaking. "Anyone? As in-"

The sudden nay-ing of a horse cut off his sentence and color drained from the chubby hobbit's face. Susan quickly drew her bow and an arrow before going over the ledge to see that five Nazgul were gaining ground on their way to the watchtower. "As in them? I'd say yes, Sam, they could see your fire very well." She paused to look back at the hobbits. "Go to the top of the hill. I shall hold them off as long as I can."

Sam, Merry, and Pippin all nodded and began running up the path. Frodo hesitated. Susan smiled and gave him a reassuring nod. "Go, Frodo. It will be okay."

The curly haired boy nodded slowly before following his friends. Once the four were out of sight, Susan turned back to the advancing Nazgul and took a deep breath to focus.

The marksmen queen chose her target, the one at the lead, and let lose her arrow. The arrow pierced it's target but to Susan's dismay, it did not stop nor slow him. Susan quickly notched another arrow and aimed for the same dark rider. Again, he was not phased by her attack.

The girl began to panic. Was it impossible to kill these creatures? She did not know the answer and she was not about to waste time pondering it. Susan retreated up the hill that the hobbits had just gone up and found them huddled in the middle of the runes of the tower with their small daggers drawn.

"Get behind me!" She said as she ran over to them. Susan slung her bow back over her shoulder and unsheathed the sword the Strider had given her. She would have felt more confident with her bow but seeing as it would do nothing to stop the Nazgul she supposed she would just have to endure combat with the blade.

Susan and the hobbits waited silently for the flood of Ring Wraiths to come upon them. Seconds later, the air around them grew eerily still and cloaked figures emerged from the darkness. Susan felt as if the blood in her very veins had frozen over at the sight of the faceless men.

The leader of the Nazgul was coming toward her slowly but steadily, he then took out his sword, ready to attack.

Susan held her sword tightly in her grip, prepared to defend the hobbits to the death. She waited for the leader to make his move. It felt like hours before he struck but in reality it was mere seconds. The metals of the two blades made contact, causing a ringing sounds to echo off the brick runes of the tower.

Susan thrust the blade at the cloaked Nazgul again and again but every time he would block it with ease. On her last try, the thing's scabbed, cold hand came out and grabbed hold of her wrist. The Nazgul leader jerked her toward him and forced Susan to look at the empty space under his hood.

The girl was terrified and furious at herself for it. The look, or lack of one, on his face showed the malice with which he stared back at her. She was frozen at that moment. Though she could not see it, his eyes were staring at her with such intensity that it seemed he was studying the girl carefully.

His sword was raised to her throat and as he continued to look at her it slowly began to drop. Susan's forehead wrinkled up at why he did this but did not have time to ponder for long. In the next instant, the man threw her to the side, out of his way.

She hit her head hard on a rock and was momentarily blinded and disoriented. She could not see what was going on, she could only figure out what was happening by the noises around her.

Susan vaguely heard Pippin and Merry calling out to her at the same time as Sam shouted Frodo's name. Susan sat up despite the imminence pain she felt radiating from her skull. No matter how much she was hurting she had to protect Frodo and the ring from these creatures.

Her vision was beginning to return to her, filtering through the black and white fuzziness in front of her eyes. Tiny hands wrapped around her upper arms and she felt herself being lifted up to her full hight. The girl shook her head, sending another wave of pain and nausea through her body.

"Miss Susan! Frodo needs you!" Merry called to her through the dizziness. The girl blinked her eyes frantically a couple times before she was able to see a decent amount. Susan saw as the leader, who had thrown her, loomed over Frodo with his sword up and ready to strike the hobbit. In the next second, she watched as the boy disappeared into thin air mysteriously.

Without thinking, Susan took her bow back out and shot an arrow at the leader's heart. The man did not flinch or even look in her direction; his eyes were only for the spot in which Frodo had disappeared seconds before.

But unlike their leader, her attack was not unnoticed by the rest of the Nazgul. All turned to her and the three hobbits that stood beside her. Susan put her bow back and took out the sword again. The girl took a deep breath as she swayed on her feet, trying desperately to fight the unconsciousness that tried to over take her. Susan had to stay awake, to defend the hobbits.

In the next second two things happened at once: a screamed echoed over the hill top followed by another coming up behind her. Susan turned her head to see Strider running through a brick archway and toward them. He carried his sword in one hand and a torch covered with flames in the other.

Susan felt her head become light and dizzier and found herself not able to help Strider fight or even instruct the hobbits around her. Within minutes, Susan noticed that Strider had taken out all of their adversaries. The man did one more perimeter check to make sure that all of the members of the Nazgul were gone before he went over to where Frodo was laying, screaming in pain.

It was only then that Susan even noticed that anything had happened. Though she did not know what caused Frodo such pain, she knew that it was not anything that posed little risk to him. As she watched the three hobbits and Strider surround their wounded friend she felt the world around her begin to spin at an accelerating rate.

"Susan!" Strider yelled, prompting her to come and help him. When she did not respond, he looked over at the young girl. His eyes widened.

In an instant he was at the girl's side as she laid on the ground, seemingly unconscious. He lifted her head in his hand and took a deep, sharp breath when he felt a gooey wetness drain onto his hand. He removed his fingers from the back of Susan's head and slightly gasped at the sight of Susan's blood staining his hands and the ground around her with a devilish shade of crimson red.

**I hope you liked it! Thank you so much for reading! **


	3. Brave New World

**I disclaim Narnia and LOTR. **

**Okay, chapter three. I'm loving all of the positive feedback and suggests/hints for what I need to do to make Middle Earth more...convincing? lol. Anyway, I appreciate it all. Thank you. **

**Happy New Year! **

Peter swung his sword above his head before bringing it down swiftly in front of him. Boromir blocked the blow easily before turning back onto the offense.

It had been five days since Peter had first arrived in Gondor and he had been enjoying his time in the beautiful city. This Middle Earth was so much like his beloved Narnia and at times he could even convince himself he was back in his country. But he could only fool himself for so long before he realized that he was somewhere different.

Peter had been trying so hard to figure out what had happen that brought him to Middle Earth alone. He would have surely thought that Aslan would have sent his siblings there too? But what does he know of how the Great Lion works?

He was suddenly pushed out of his thoughts when a flash of silver metal came at him. With the agility of a well trained soldier, Peter blocked the blow that was coming at his shoulder. He jumped back a step, ready for the next to attack to come.

Boromir smiled as he took a step back, taking a few breaths while he had the chance. "I'll have to say, my friend. You are very good..." He smirked up at Peter. "But I am better."

Peter smiled at his new friend's words before blocking yet another attack. The two of them had been practicing for little over an hour now and neither one of them were successful in disarming their opponent.

The High King was about to take a swipe at Boromir's legs when a sudden voice broke their concentrations.

"My Lord Boromir!" A man called as he ran up to the two men. Both stopped what they were doing to watch the new arrival. The man finally made it to them, slightly out of breath. "Your father needs you."

Boromir's forehead wrinkled. "Is he alright?"

The man nodded. "He just said he needed to see you right away, it is urgent."

Boromir sighed. "Yes, alright then." He ran his forearm over his forehead before looking over at Peter. "You'll be fine by yourself for a while?"

Peter nodded and Boromir did the same in return before following the other man out of the practice field and back into the marble city. Peter took a deep breath before putting his sword back in it's sheath and going over to get a drink of water from the well near by.

He drank the cool water down and let a sigh of content escape his lips.

Peter knew he was falling in love with the White City and it terrified him for he knew that being there would not last forever. He had even found friends in Boromir and his brother. They were both good, brave men. But making friends, like he had in Narnia, was unrealistic. He couldn't become attached to this place only to be ripped away from it again.

Peter sighed and took another drink before going over to a large willow tree. The king plopped down against the trunk and closed his eyes. The shade was relaxing after being in the hot sun for most of the afternoon.

Peter must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing he knew Boromir was back and shaking his shoulder. Peter blinked a few times before being able to look up into the bright sun and at his friend.

Boromir's face was shaded with annoyance and something else that Peter could not quite identify...perhaps confusion?

"Everything alright?" Peter asked while standing up to his full height.

Boromir nodded. "I believe it will be but I'm afraid that I will be leaving the city today."

Peter furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

Boromir chuckled humorlessly, almost angry. "My father wants me to go to Rivendell to get some elvish weapon." He sighed. "So I am sorry to say that I will not be here to help you find your memory."

Peter didn't hear the man's last words. He was too busy thinking about this place he spoke of. Rivendell sounded intriguing and Peter really wished to go...It then clicked in his mind that perhaps he could. "Do you think it possible for me to come with you? I've been cooped up here for a while and I wouldn't mind a little adventure."

Boromir stared at him strangely. "I do not know...My father-"

"You could make me sound useful. Say I will act as your squire or something along those lines." Peter suggested. Now he was dying to go. He had a good feeling about this city of Rivendell where elves of some sort dwelled.

Boromir studied the younger man's pleading blue eyes for a second before laughing. "Yes, alright. We shall try to get it past my father and if he says yes than you may go...but if we say you are going to be the pack mule you will have to act like one. And who knows? Perhaps seeing more of Middle Earth will help you remember who you are," Boromir said with a smile.

Peter smiled back and thanked the man. He realized that this is what he was supposed to do all along. His going to Rivendell was part of Aslan's plan for him. He didn't know how he knew this, just that he did.

Boromir excused himself to go pack a moment later and instructed Peter to do the same. Peter waited until Boromir rounded the corner before turning and running in the opposite direction to his quarters.

Adventure had finally found him in this strange land, and he was ready for it.

-----------------

Susan was in and out of consciousness for what seemed like a millennium to her. She only saw glimpses of what was happening around her. At one point, she was on a horse-like animal, being pulled by Sam. Everything would fade and then come back to see a brand new picture. She then saw troll-like creatures made of stone staring down at her.

Again, the image faded and came back to show Strider above her, speaking in a muted voice that did not reach her ears. She vaguely saw him chew up a piece of a flower and put it on the back of her head before blacking out again.

Susan felt like this was going to go on forever until the one time she came to and everything around her was different. The girl opened her eyelids, that no longer felt heavy, to see she was in a laying in a bed in a room and not on the ground of the forest. Her eyes fluttered open to allow more of the room to come into view and she began to study her surroundings. The room seemed to be a grand one that would be found in a castle. She had seen a thousand rooms like this in Narnia.

It was beautifully decorated with cherry wooden furniture and white linens. The bed on which she laid was comfortable for the most part and the sheets smelled freshly laundered which made her feel even relaxed. Susan sighed before deciding to sit up.

Pain rushed to her head at the sudden movement her body made but she tried to ignore it.

"Ugh, what happened to me?" She asked herself as she gingerly touched her fingers to the back of her head.

"You suffered a rather nasty head wound and have been unconscious for the better part of seven days." A womanly voice answered, to her surprise.

Susan's head shot up and sent another rush of pain through her skull. After the dizziness faded, the girl was able to see the figure of a tall, brunette woman standing before her. Susan had to say the woman was beautiful but otherworldly in a way.

The woman smiled at Susan before coming deeper into the room and handing her a glass of water. Susan nodded a thank you to the woman before drinking greedily.

Only after the last drop of water was gone from the cup did Susan speak. "Could you possibly tell me where I am?"

The woman chuckled gracefully and nodded. "You are in Rivendell."

Susan raised an eyebrow. Had she really been knocked out that long after hitting her head on Weathertop? "And the rest of my company...?"

"All are well, even Frodo."

_Frodo_, Susan thought to herself, _he had been hurt right before she blacked out_.

"That is good news," Susan said while clutching onto her head again. All of this was sort of confusing for her. It felt like she had missed so much doing her week of unconsciousness.

"How are you feeling?" The woman asked, genuinely concerned.

Susan sighed. "Like I got bashed in the head repeatedly with a rock."

The woman chuckled. "You were in pretty bad shape when you arrived here but the healers have taken good care of you."

Susan nodded before standing up. "Well, thank you...?"

"My name is Arwen." The tall woman smiled.

"Arwen," Susan said. "thank you for everything you and your people have done for me and my companions."

"Of course," Arwen told her graciously. "Would you like to see the hobbits? The two younger acting ones seemed very adamant about seeing you were alright."

Susan laughed, knowing that the woman was talking about Merry and Pippin. "Yes, I would love to see them."

Arwen nodded. "They are in the gardens. I shall take you there myself."

Arwen led Susan out the door and into a plain, clean corridor. Susan did not pay much attention to the directions in which they were moving. Her eyes would dart from the window to window that was carved out of the brick to see the beautiful grounds of Rivendell. There were trees the color of ash, green grasses, and even a misty waterfall that poured down into a river that ran through the heart of the city. Everything was so beautiful.

A moment later, Arwen stopped in a marble archway and pointed to a bench in the distance. "There they are."

"Thank you, again, for everything." Susan said with a smile.

The tall woman nodded before bowing her head, turning around, and leaving the garden area. Susan took the opportunity to take a large, deep breath. The air that came into her lungs was crisp and soothing to her.

"Miss Susan!" A small voice called out.

The dark haired girl turned to see Merry and Pippin running toward her. Susan grinned as the boys nearly ran into her before stopping. The two look up at her in amazement before smiling.

"You are okay!" Pippin stated obviously which only caused Merry to roll his eyes.

"Well spotted, Pip." Merry said.

Pippin turned to give his friend a glare which didn't look all that intimidating to Susan. She could only laugh as the two of them began to fight and roll around on the ground. A couple of seconds passed before Sam arrived on the scene followed closely by Frodo.

"Looks like you are feeling better," Susan called out to the curly headed hobbit.

Frodo nodded. "And you as well."

Susan gave him a small smile in return. The girl studied Frodo for a while as he frowned at his two fighting friends. She noticed that he had become even more serious than before. Whatever had happened on Weathertop changed him. Susan could tell at one time he was able to laugh and have a good time but she wasn't sure if he would ever be capable of being that way again.

Frodo suddenly felt her blue gaze on him and turned to Susan. Quickly, she averted her gaze to the beautiful plants and flowers around her. Her cheeks flushed at getting caught being so rude.

A moment later the boys were still fighting, now with Sam thrown in the mix, and Susan had grown somewhat dizzy from all of the excitement around her. Looking around, she saw the marble bench that Arwen had pointed to earlier.

Leaving the hobbits behind, she went over and sat down with a sigh.

The bench where she sat was placed against a marble railing that stood against a steep cliff. Below her high perch, Susan could see a large, golden gate that acted as an entrance into Rivendell. Besides that, the place below, which seemed to her like a courtyard-like area, looked just as lovely and peaceful as everything else she had seen in this city.

It was just then when the sound of horse hooves registered in the girl's ears. Her head perked up as she looked down at the gate. A band of three men rode in through the gate and gracefully dismounted their steeds.

All three men were handsome, which she had now realized was a trait of elves, but one stood out to her more than all the rest. This man, or elf, was tall and graceful with long blonde hair. Susan didn't know what it was but she could not take her eyes off of him. Perhaps it was the otherworldliness he possessed or the way he carried himself confidently and gracefully.

Just then, the elf's piercing blue eyes came up and met Susan's. Unlike with Frodo, Susan did not look away in embarrassment. The two's eyes stayed locked until one of the other elves came up to him and said something.

The blonde elf's eyes pulled away from Susan's and back to his companion. He nodded before turning and heading over to a brunette elf that was waiting to greet them.

"That is Legolas Greenleaf,"

Susan spun around, startled, to see Strider behind her with a smirk across his usually serious face.

The girl narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at him. "And what is he doing here?"

"He has been sent for to attend a counsel meeting led by Lord Elrond to discuss the fate of the Ring," Strider explained while his eyes scanned the lower level of the city where this elf, Legolas, and his company had just entered. His eyes stopped their scan suddenly and Susan could not help but follow his gaze to see what had attracted his full attention. Susan smirked when she saw that the what was more of a who; Strider's gaze was on Arwen.

Susan looked away quickly before he noticed she was watching him watch the brunette elf. "Who else is to come?" She asked suddenly, trying to keep the awkwardness she was starting to feel at bay.

"There will be those from the race of men, elves, and dwarfs," Strider announced, out of the trance that Arwen had put him in.

Susan smiled and nodded before looking over at Frodo and the rest of the hobbits who were laughing and smiling and having a good time. The girl's face fell slightly as her eyes fell to Frodo's wounded arm.

Strider must have saw this. He sighed before sitting down next to her and watching the innocent boys in front of them.

"I should have been able to stop this," Susan said, feeling guilty over Frodo's injuries. She was supposed to protect them while Strider was gone; that was the duty he had charged her with and she failed.

"My Lady, what happened to Frodo is not your fault. You didn't know what you were up against," Strider told her.

Susan nodded and pursed her lips. "I know that but...I should have been able to do more for them. My arrows did not even affect the Black Riders."

Strider nodded. "Yes, well I can see how that would not create too much damage for them. They are not easy to kill and it is even said that no man will be able to kill them..." The man trailed off before looking back over at Frodo. "He will be fine, Susan."

The girl nodded again, not knowing what else to do or say. A few moments passed before the two started talking of lighter topics such as the beauty of Rivendell and the geography of Middle Earth.

Susan was most intrigued by the cultures that could be found in this universe. Besides the humans, hobbits, and elves she had already met there were also dwarfs, which seemed to be a lot like the ones in Narnia: grumpy and not easily trusted .

Wizards lived in this world too. Unlike the White Witch, however, most of the wizards here were good. Strider talked of one specifically that was staying in Rivendell, as well. The man called him Gandalf the Grey.

"He's a good man." Strider had said. "He and Frodo go back many years."

It was then Susan's turn to tell stories of Narnia. She told Strider of her and her siblings rein of the country along with the different creatures that called that world their home.

When Susan first arrived in Middle Earth she thought that it was very similar to Narnia but now that they discussed the specifics of each universe she could see that they couldn't be more different. Narnia was a calmer, more peaceful place while Middle Earth had struggled with war for as long as it's history had been recorded. Narnia was more mystical and old in contrast to the industry that was growing here.

She didn't know why, but these differences made her sad. Susan secretly knew that deep down inside she thought this Middle Earth was a gateway back to Narnia. But seeing as this world held much less faith than Narnia it seemed near impossible for her to believe that she was going home to Cair Paravel.

An hour or so passed before the sound of more horses approaching the city caught Susan's attention. Her and Strider looked down to see a group of men coming through the gate. There seemed to be nothing otherworldly about them like the first set of elves that came in this morning so Susan assumed that they were simply humans.

The first to come in was a man with longish hair, about the same length as Strider's, that was a dark auburn color. He looked regal and proud to Susan's eyes but she didn't want to judge him to hastily like she had with Strider. The next to come in was a man with black hair and tanned skin. And lastly, a young man of about eighteen or nineteen rode through the gate on a slow horse weighed down by the other two men's things. He had shaggy, blonde hair but that was all she could tell because his head was directed downward.

Susan stared at this last boy. He seemed vaguely familiar to her but she couldn't understand how. The only people she had seem in Middle Earth so far were Strider, the hobbits, and Arwen. Perhaps she had seen the boy in a previous life...?

It suddenly clicked in Susan's mind who this boy was and she almost had a heart attack.

"Peter!?" She yelled down to him, half surprised and half excited to see a friendly face.

The boy below looked up at her and stared confusedly at his sister. Before he could respond to her, Susan stood up and began to run down a nearby flight of stairs, ignoring the pounding ache in her head.

Taking two stairs at a time, it only took her seconds to be in the courtyard where Peter was. She ran as fast as she could, becoming closer and closer to the brother she had been so worried about since she arrived there.

Peter was still somewhat shocked and just stood there waiting for Susan. Finally, she made it to him and jumped into Peter's arm, locking him in a bone crushing hug that only his sister could put him in.

Peter finally realized that this was Susan and that she was safely in Middle Earth with him; he was not alone. So, he was right when he felt like he needed to come here. A slow smiled began to spread across his face as he returned his sister's embrace.

The hug lasted a a few more seconds before Peter took Susan at arm's length so he could get a look at her. "Su, what are you doing here?" He asked, almost giddily.

The girl was about to answer when one of the men interrupted. "You know this girl?" He asked Peter.

Susan looked at the man with auburn hair and then back to her brother. Peter returned her glance before nodding.

The man smiled and clasped a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Well done, my friend! You have remembered something!"

Susan tilted her head in confusion. "What have you forgotten, Peter?"

Peter's glance went from the man then back to her and he sighed. "I guess I have some explaining to do."

"Oh, I think you both do." A new, deep voice came into the mix. Susan spun around to see Strider standing with a tall, aged man that was leaning heavily on a walking stick. The girl wasn't entirely sure who it was but she had a pretty good idea: this was Gandalf the Grey and he was not too pleased with her and her brother.

**I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading! =]**


	4. Truth, Bitter Truth

**Disclaimer-I do not own LOTR or Narnia. **

**Sorry for the long wait. Life gets in the way of writing. So, in case you didn't realize it yet, the majority of this story will be in Susan's POV. I feel like she is a really underappreciated character and she is, after all, my favorite. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Peter and Susan followed Strider and the old, graying man, that they hadn't quite identified for sure, down a long corridor. Neither knew where they were going or what would happen to them once they got there but what they did know is that they were together and no longer alone in this strange, new world.

Susan was quiet as they walked, studying the man with the walking stick. He looked aged and worn yet he acted like a man half is age. The girl suddenly felt her brother's hand on her shoulder.

She looked over and up at him with questioning eyes.

"Are you alright, Sue?" He asked.

His sister raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

The blond haired boy pursed his lips and nodded in the general direction of Strider. "On my way in I heard two elves talking of that man. He came in with a wounded...what did he call it? A hobbit? And an unconscious girl. I am assuming he was meaning you."

"And why would you assume it would be me, Peter?" Susan questioned.

Her brother tilted his head to her and raised an eyebrow. "Must I remind you of our last visit to Narnia? When you almost fell off of Aslan's How and plummeted to your death? Or when you and Lucy were riding through the woods to go find Aslan and you stayed behind to take care of the Telmarines so she could escape? If it wasn't for Prince Casp-"

The look of complete terror that flashed onto Susan's face caused Peter to stop midsentence. He felt like an idiot. He knew that the mention of Caspian was painful for his little sister and he almost opened up those bloody wounds that she had been working hard to close for the past few months now.

Peter gave Susan a sympathetic smile and another squeeze of her shoulder. "But it was you, wasn't it?"

The brunette nodded unenthusiastically. "I am fine, Peter, you needn't worry about me."

Peter smiled and they both continued on in silence, trailing behind the two older men. They continued on like this for some time until they came upon large, looming double doors. The graying man pushed the white doors open with surprising strength and hobbled in followed closely by Strider, Susan, and Peter.

The two Pevensies stopped just inside the entrance of the room that seemed to be a study as Strider and the other man went over to address another man, whom Susan assumed to be an elf, and announce their presence.

The elf had long brown hair and stood tall, like most other elves Susan had met. The eldest of the men whispered something in a foreign language that sounded like complete gibberish to the human teenagers.

The elf's eyes widened suddenly at the man's words before he nodded slowly and looked in Peter and Susan's direction. He studied the two of them as he started to make his way over to them.

Susan could sense Peter tensing up next to her and she put a reassuring hand on his arm to silently tell him that it was okay.

The elf stopped a few feet in front of the two of them but continued to stare. A moment passed before he took a deep breath and finally spoke. "So you are the ones who were sent to save us?"

Peter's eyebrows furrowed up in confusion. He had no idea what this man was talking about. To his surprise, his sister spoke.

"That is what I have been told, my lord." She said in a calm, collected voice.

Peter's head shot over so he could look at his sister, then back at the man. What was going on here?

The brunette elf nodded slowly yet again. "Where do you hail from?"

"From Narnia by way of England," Susan responded.

"Though, I am sure, you have not heard of either of these countries, My Lord," Peter elaborated.

The elf tilted his head to the boy. "What is your name, young man?"

Susan rolled her eyes at the very long speech that Peter was sure to go into about his name. Sure enough, Peter puffed out his chest slightly and tried to stand a little taller than his already large frame.

"My name is High King Peter the Magnificent of Narnia, Emperor of the Lone Islands, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Lion." He said in a proud voice.

Susan sighed. "You probably could have stopped after the High King part." She whispered to her brother.

The boy pursed his lips and set her with a narrow eyed glance before looking back at the elf. "And might I have the honor of knowing your name, My Lord?"

The elf nodded. "I am Lord Elrond of Rivendell." He looked over at Susan. "And this most be Queen Susan the Gentle as my daughter has informed me."

Susan curtsied ever so slightly in greeting.

Lord Elrond bowed gracefully to the queen in return. The elf looked over the siblings once more before turning back to the two men. "Gandelf, I cannot deny that these two are the ones the prophecy spoke of."

The elderly man, whom they now knew to be Gandelf the Grey, shook his head furiously. "That is impossible! They are mere children! How can they possibly be the Great Defenders of our world?" He shouted in a deep, angered voice.

Susan's face fell slightly but she took the insult with grace and poise. But unlike his sister, Peter could not let this go lightly. "We are not children! At least, we weren't always. We are royalty, sir, and I expect to be treated as such."

Gandelf looked at Peter with questioning eyes before walking over to stand in front of him. "How old are you, boy?"

Peter looked back at Susan, who nodded encouragingly at him, for a second before addressing the elderly man. "I am nineteen." He said lowly, almost spitting out the number.

Susan knew how much Peter resented being a child again. Before they left Narnia the first time he was around the age of thirty. As he had grown older he also gained respect from his peers and subjects. Once they came back to England where they were once again young children he could not stand it. Their bodies might have gone back in time but their minds surely had not.

Gandelf shook his head. "You are just a lad. You cannot possibly be this Great Defender, neither can your sister who looks to be even younger than you." The elderly man looked over Peter's shoulder at Susan who stood with her shoulders back and her head raised high, every inch a royal. He shook his head yet again. What would a young queen know of war and weapons?

"Gandelf, though I cannot say anything about King Peter, I have seen Queen Susan fight with both a bow and sword, and she did so nobly. There is not one doubt in my mind that she is the woman we have waited to come." Strider said before looking in Peter's direction. "And if King Peter is anything like his sister described then he is also the one to defend our world."

Susan smiled at Strider for his kind words of defense.

"But-" Gandelf began, before being cut off by the short, gentle girl.

"Sir," Susan said, stepping up to stand next to Peter. "I do not mean to question the matter of your trust but...if you so easily entrusted the ring of power in the hands of four small, rather naïve, hobbits then why is it so hard for you to trust the facts that we were brought here to help you and Middle Earth?"

Gandelf stared at her with narrowed eyes for what felt like a generation for the queen but finally his face softened and he smiled slightly. "Because it is hard to except the fact that this world stands on the brink of destruction, my young Queen." He paused. "I am sorry for doubting you both."

Susan smiled and nodded while Peter stepped up to the graying man and held out his hand. "That is alright, my friend, we get that reaction quite often believe it or not."

The two men and elf smiled at the young man. They all were quiet for a moment before Peter suddenly broke the silence. "Now that that is all sorted can someone please tell me what is going on?"

Susan covered her mouth to hide the chuckle that threatened to break through. Clearly, there was ever more explaining to do than she thought.

* * *

Susan was standing by the railing in the garden she had sat in earlier with Strider and the four hobbits. It had been several hours since her and Peter parted ways after their meeting with Strider, Lord Elrond, and Gandelf.

Peter was completely perplexed by the story of the ring along with the prophecy that was written about his sister and himself. After all of this information was poured down upon him, he wished to take some rest. He had been traveling for several days now which contributed to his exhaustion.

He promised to meet Susan later so the two of them could have dinner together and catch up on their stories and experiences so far in Middle Earth until the ball that would take place for Lord Elrond's guests.

So now Susan had nothing but time to waste until dusk fell.

She had been watching as men, elves, and dwarves arrived in small groups, all coming to attend the council meeting held by Lord Elrond.

Susan sighed as the last group of men filed through the front gates and they were finally closed for the day.

How many men had shown up to discover the fate of this one little ring? Susan did not understand how such a small, unsubstantial trinket could carry with it such power and destruction. The queen shook her head and pushed herself up from the railing. She had decided that she was going to go find Peter.

The girl turned around and froze suddenly when she saw the least likely of persons. From across the garden stood the man that Strider had identified as Legolas Greenleaf. Now, this in it's self would not have been strange to Susan but the thing that startled her was that he was looking back at her with big blue eyes that matched the pair she possessed.

They two's eyes stayed locked for a moment before Susan felt the need to break her gaze. Feeling the need to leave the garden immediately, Susan quickly turned and walked out of the garden through the nearest corridor.

The girl was slightly out of breath before she stopped her hasty retreat. She slowed to a brisk walk and reluctantly let her thoughts drift back to the elf. Who was he and why did he feel the need to stare at her?

The last person who stared at Susan like that was Caspian and that-

Susan halted mid-step. No, this could not be happening, not again.

Could it be possible that what happened with Caspian could be repeating with this Legolas character? No, it couldn't and Susan knew why: because she would not let it.

Like the lady she was brought up to be, Susan cleared her throat, straightened her clothes, and pulled herself back together. Her momentary lapse into the past had affected her slightly but now that she was going to be in the company of others at dinner she would have to act like the queen she was.

Susan went back to following the corridors that led to Peter's room, hoping that her brother could give her a familiar piece of mind that she had been sorely lacking for two weeks now.

* * *

Peter was in his chambers getting ready for dinner and then, later, the ball that would be held for those who came to decide the fate of the one ring.

The blond king threw on a light blue tunic that the elves had graciously given to him. He had just managed to get the shirt over his head when a knock sounded at his door. Peter rolled his eyes at the sound. It must have been Susan.

He walked over to the door and grabbed hold of the door knob. "Sue, I thought I told you that I would-"

The door swung open to reveal that it was not Susan who had come for him, but Boromir.

"Boromir! What are you doing here?" Peter asked, stunned to see his new friend.

Boromir looked at Peter with skeptical eyes. "I am going to ask you a question and you are going to answer it truthfully, do you understand?"

Boromir's words were venomous and strangely unlike him.

Peter raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Alright."

Boromir nodded. "Who are you?"

The blond boy's face fell at the question. So Boromir had indeed learned of his lies? Peter knew that his untruths would catch up with him eventually but this seemed too soon. He had not had time to prepare a proper explanation for his actions.

The king sighed, knowing that he had to just tell the raw truth and deal with the consequences like a gentleman would. "My name is Peter and I am the king of a country that is not of this Middle Earth." He paused. "I realize that you probably do not believe the last bit but it's the truth."

Boromir did not response back quickly. Instead, the man narrowed his eyes. "You did not lose your memory at all, did you?"

Peter sighed and shook his head. "I am sorry that I lied to you. You were my host and it was wrong of me to do so but I just did not think you would believe my story. I thought you would have declared me insane and thrown me out of your city and then where would I have gone?"

Boromir shook his head a moment later. "You have showed great disrespect for me by keeping these secrets from me," The man said.

Peter nodded. "I know and for that I apologize."

The room went silent as the man of Gondor rubbed the stubble on his chin, pacing thoughtfully. Peter assumed the man was deciding what to think of him. In truth, they had become very good friends and this is clearly why Peter's betrayal had affected Boromir's ego so.

"Do not lie to me again." Boromir finally spoke the strong warning.

Peter just gave him one firm nod in response.

The men stood in silence for a moment awkwardly. Neither wanted to be the first one to speak. Peter because he felt guilty for lying to his friend and Boromir because his pride would not allow it.

Thankfully, they were both saved by the small woman who stood knocking in Peter's doorway.

"I'm sorry," Susan said. "I hope I am not interrupting anything." She looked from one man to the other with a small, closed-lipped smile spread across her lovely face.

Both stared at her for a moment before turning to look at each other.

Boromir gave Peter a friendly smile, silently saying that he was forgiven, before going over to Susan. The man of Gondor took her petite hand in his own and pressed his lips gently on her knuckles. "You must be Queen Susan?"

The girl smiled again and nodded.

"I have heard of you." The man stated.

Susan shot a glance at her brother. "Oh? Nothing horrid, I trust?"

Boromir chuckled, catching the look she had just given Peter. "No, your husband has not-"

"Husband!?" Both siblings cried out in surprise.

Boromir looked from Peter to Susan and back again. "The two of you are not married then?"

"Of course not! Why on earth would you think that?" Peter exclaimed.

The man from Gondor shook his head before answering. "I just assumed that since you were the king and queen of your country that you were married."

Susan looked at the man and smiled gently. "It was an honest mistake, my lord. You see, Peter and I are brother and sister. We ruled Narnia together, along with our younger siblings. I know it is not conventional for running a kingdom but..." Susan trailed off, thinking how abnormal all of this must have sounded to the man.

Indeed, soon enough, Boromir's brow furrowed up. "This Narnia of yours sounds like the strangest of places."

Susan chuckled. "That it is, but nonetheless Narnia is home."

Boromir nodded and the three lapsed into a small silence.

Susan always appreciated peace and quiet but when it turned awkward, as it had just then, she felt uneasy. Trying to defuse the situation, she decided to speak again. "Are the two of you ready for dinner? I just came here to tell Peter how starved I am and wanted to see if he would join me." She turned to Boromir. "You are more than welcome to join us, if you wish, my lord."

The man smiled. "Thank you but no. I have already promised some old friends that I would dine with them tonight. I shall take my leave." He turned to Peter and bowed his head slightly. "King Peter."

The blonde boy nodded back in response. "Boromir."

The man of Gonder then went over to Susan and took her hand in his yet again, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "It was a pleasure to meet you, my queen."

Susan smiled. "And I you, Lord Boromir."

With one last nod, the man passed Susan, walked out the door, and disappeared into the hallway.

"He was a descent sort, wasn't he?" She said to her brother.

Peter just shrugged. "Haven't completely figured him out yet. But he has been a good friend these last couple of weeks."

"Yeah, I have made a couple of those myself." Susan added, smiling at the thought of those four little hobbits.

Peter nodded and walked over to her. He stood next to her and extended his arm for his sister to take. "Why don't you tell me about them over dinner?"

Susan chuckled. "Alright."

The brunette girl linked her arm with her brother's and the next second they were off to the dinning area. They walked at a steady pace, linked arm and arm as they used to when strolling through the gardens at Cair Paravel many moons ago.

It was only a matter of minutes before they found themselves in the dining hall.

Susan thought it was beautifully decorated. Round wooden tables, the color of ash, were spread gracefully around the room. Several chairs stood around the tables to allow six or seven people to eat together. The room was airy and light and elegant. Susan smiled. The more she saw of Rivendell the more she fell in love with it.

"Where shall we sit?" Peter asked.

Susan looked around the room, trying to find an open table. She was just about to suggest one when she heard her name being called out.

"Susan! Susan!"

The girl looked around, searching for the source of the voice. She looked around and saw Pippin running toward her followed closely by Merry.

"You know these children?" Peter asked, eying the two boys.

Susan chuckled. "Peter, look closer."

The blonde boy raised an eye brow at her before turning back to the approaching children. They must have been around three feet tall, around the age of four was his guess, but as he gave them a closer look he noticed that they had stubble growing on their faces. The boy was taken aback. These were not children at all; they were men.

"Susan!" Pippin called again as he then Merry came to a halt in front of her. The shortest of the hobbits smiled up at Susan. It took him a second to realize that someone was even standing next to her.

Pippin gave Peter a once over and frowned. "And who are you?"

The blond boy raised an eyebrow at the clearly infatuated hobbit who viewed him as a threat.

"Oh, Pippin, Merry, this is my brother, Peter. Peter, this is Merry and Pippin." A pause. "Strider was right when he said that we would find him here." Susan said, quickly defusing the situation. For a minute even, she was worried that Pippin would try to strike Peter.

At Susan's words, Pippin's jealousy faded and he began smiling happily again. "Oh, well it is a pleasure to meet you." Pippin held out his little hand. Peter excepted the gesture and shook his hand firmly.

"And I you." Peter said before releasing Pippin's hand to take hold of Merry's.

Pippin nodded to him.

"Well, would you like to sit with us for a bite to eat before this grand party?" Merry asked the siblings politely.

Susan raised one brown eyebrow at them. "The two of you? Eat only a bite?" She began to laugh. "I clearly remember it was your stomaches that almost got us killed on Weathertop."

Peter looked at his sister with wide eyes. What was Weathertop and who tried to kill them? He was about to say something when Pippin cut in. "We are growing boys- I mean,men! We needed our food and as I recall no one was killed."

It was Merry's turn to laugh. "Are you dimmer than usual, Pip? Frodo was stabbed with a poisonous blade and Susan almost died of blood loss!"

Peter's eyes grew even wider. "Okay, what are the three of you talking about?"

Susan looked over at her brother, almost forgetting that he was there. She sighed. "Why don't we take a seat first? This is quite a long story."

Peter chuckled once. "Yes, it seems we shall be in for a lot of those in Middle Earth."

Susan shook her head and rolled her blue eyes before following Pippin and Merry back to their table where a night full of stories was to take place, and that was even before the ball started. She sighed again as her mind reluctantly went back to an image of a certain elf with long blonde hair who would surely be at this ball.

Susan pursed her lips as she willed the thought from her mind. She knew that tonight would be interesting.

**I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think please! Thanks for reading! **


	5. Between Order and Randomness

**Disclaimer- I do not own Lord of the Rings or Narnia. **

**Sorry for the long wait, life got in the way. But here's the next chapter! Hope you like it! **

"Wait, are you trying to tell me that my little sister was almost brutally killed by these-what did you call them, Ring Wraths?- because the three of _you_ were worried about your stomachs?" Peter questioned Merry, Pippin, and Sam.

The three hobbits looked down at their hands that they had placed in their laps and nodded grimly.

Peter looked at them for a moment before starting to laugh a hearty laugh. The hobbits' heads shot up in shock. "That is probably one of the funniest things I have ever heard!" He managed to gasp out between deep laughs.

Susan gave the hobbits a small smile before turning to her brother and narrowing her eyes. "Oh, Peter. Why must you tease them? They feel awful about it already."

Merry and Pippin nodded frantically as if the thought of King Peter being angry with them was the most terrifying thing they could think of. The blond boy continued to laugh. "Tease them? No! I am not teasing! I find this to be genuinely comical!" He said before a burst of laughter escaped his lips yet again, causing Susan to roll her eyes.

Eventually, Pippin and Sam realized that Peter was serious and their rigidness faded until nothing was left but their usual flighty and naïve selves.

Soon enough, everyone at the table was laughing, including Susan and Frodo.

The four hobbits and the two royals continued to talk about their experiences and adventures while exploring Middle Earth until it was time for Lord Elrond's ball.

Susan and Peter were already dressed and ready but the hobbits, whom Susan thought acted exactly like her little sister Lucy, were no where near presentable and had to go back to their quarters.

The Pevensies parted from the hobbits at the entrance of the dinning hall and told them they would see them in the ball room. The four little hobbits waved their goodbyes before running down the marble hall in the opposite direction that Peter and Susan were headed.

The brunette girl smiled as her and her brother began to walk away. "They are strange but they have good hearts." She told him.

Peter nodded and held his arm out for his sister to take; she accepted it gratefully.

"I believe you," Peter responded. He liked those hobbit creatures. They reminded Peter of the way him and Edmund would be friends one moment and then be enemies the next. It was always a love/hate relationship between the pair of them.

The two walked on in silence until they came upon Boromir two halls down from the ball room. "My Queen," Boromir bowed to Susan, who curtsied in return, before turning to Peter. It was obvious that Boromir was still somewhat upset with Peter which, to Susan, seemed understandable. After all, her brother did lie to Boromir who had taken him in and given him a place to stay during the period when he had his "memory loss."

"King Peter." Boromir acknowledged the boy civilly.

Peter tipped his head respectfully to the older man. "Boromir...are you on your way into the ball room?"

The man nodded. "Yes, unfortunately. Balls and dancing have never been much of an interest to me but, of course, I could not be rude and miss it so here I am."

Susan smiled. "It is understandable, my lord. I, myself, have always been partial to solitary activities rather than social gatherings."

Boromir nodded. "That is how I am, as well."

Peter looked up at the man and finally acted like a civil human being. "Then by all means you must stay close to us to ensure that no one will bother you. After all, Susan and I are looked upon as outcasts to most of the elves in Rivendell." Peter told him.

Susan pursed her lips at him. His comment was true but unnecessary. Her brother should not have spoken ill of their hosts even if it was to one of his friends. But, oh well. Peter was never one to put properness before his feelings.

"I would be delighted." Boromir said. The man held his hand out in front of him, silently saying "after you".

The three of them fell into step with one another and found themselves in the entrance to the great ball room. Susan's mouth hung open slightly as she took in the sheer beauty of the room.

Everything from the floor, to the walls, to the furniture and decorations were pale shades of silver, gold, and white. The room was, for lack of a better word, magical and at the same time it seemed to be mysterious and otherworldly. Susan assumed that it was all of the above. She could tell the elves were very powerful creatures.

The three walked through the door and were instantly greeted by Lord Elrond and his daughter, Arwin, that Susan had met earlier.

"Welcome King Peter and Queen Susan." Lord Elrond bowed his head slightly in respect.

Susan curtsied and Peter bowed in return. "Thank you for inviting us, my lord. And might I just say that this is simply exquisite." Susan complimented.

"Thank you, my queen. The ball room has been under my daughter, Arwin's, care for the past week. All that you see before you is her doing."

It was Peter's turn to give a compliment to his host. "You did a lovely job, Lady Arwin."

"It is wonderful to hear that you think so, my king. I thank you." She said with another curtsy.

Susan smiled a little. Though she would never admit it to anyone,it was even hard for her to admit it to herself, she found the rules of society and court completely exhausting. She'd much rather be on the archery field with the wind blowing in her face and the sun radiating down from the sky to kiss her skin. That was when Susan felt most comfortable but,of course, by being a Queen she never could miss a Narian ball. She dealt with those and for the most part found that she had a good time. She could do it here, as well.

The three said their goodbyes to their hosts before walking further into the ball room. An array of people popped up around them. Dwarfs, men, and elves were scattered around in small groups, talking amongst themselves. Light, beautiful music floated to their ears, causing Susan to smile. She didn't know this song but she loved it anyway.

It suddenly occurred to Susan that all of the chatter had stopped. She looked around to see all eyes on her and her brother. She gripped Peter's arm tighter under the group's gaze.

"They were talking about us just now, weren't they?" She asked him in a hushed tone.

The blonde boy looked around and saw what Susan had noticed a moment ago. He nodded. "Most definitely." He reassured with a slight shake of his head.

"Ah, my young friends, do not worry. Let them gossip!" Boromir said with less confidence then he meant to. The man hated scenes, it was all to clear to tell, and standing with Peter and Susan was as close to one as he would ever allow himself to get.

"Boromir, you do not have to be around us, you know. If you are feeling uncomfortable..." Peter started, not knowing how to finish.

Boromir looked slightly hurt and relieved at the same time. He was deciding what he wanted to do. It would look cowardly if he abandoned the young royals but it would look equally embarrassing to be seen with them when they were clearly the main attraction of ball. "I am alright, Peter. We shall have fun tonight. Am I right, my queen?"

Susan nodded. "Yes, we shall try."

"Good." Boromir stated with finality. "Now that that is settled would you like to dance, Queen Susan?" The man turned to Peter. "That is, if that is alright with you, of course."

Peter smiled and removed Susan's arm from around his. "I have had her for seventeen years, Boromir. You are welcome to her."

Susan narrowed her eyes at Peter with such intensity he thought it was their mother glaring at him. "Thank you for that, big brother. I can truly see how much you care about me."

She turned from Peter and smiled up at the man of Gondor. "I would be honored to dance, my lord. Though, I am afraid I do not know the steps to the dances of Middle Earth."

"Follow my lead and you will do well, I assure you." Boromir said before holding out his hand to Susan.

The girl accepted it gracefully and the two began to walk toward the dance floor where other couples were waiting for the next song to begin. Susan turned back to look at Peter. "Try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

Peter pursed his lips at his little sister's statement but nodded just the same.

She winked at him before taking up her position on the dance floor next to the other women joining in. Susan had stood like this, waiting to dance, many times back in Narnia but here she did not know what to except when the music began.

She stood across from Boromir and all the other gentlemen that were going to participate. He smiled reassuringly at Susan and soon after the elvish orchestra took up their instruments and began to play.

The beautiful sound reminded Susan of the English Country dance, she had learned it when she was in boarding school back in England, somewhat and she prayed that the dance steps would be similar. Thank Aslan, it was very close to being the same dance.

Seconds later the dance began. The women and men moved forward to an invisible line that was drawn between the two gender's sides and put their palms up to touch the the palms of their partner. They then took a step back and repeated the movement again. Susan along with all of the other women took steps to the side and then went back. The men followed suit before returning to their original position also. Next, the couples came together again. Palm to palm, Susan and Boromir turned in a tight, graceful circle.

"You dance as if you have attended the balls in Middle Earth all of your life!" Boromir said, obviously impressed with the Gentle Queen's skill.

Susan smiled. "Believe it or not, your dances, Lord Boromir, are very close to those of my land."

The two moved apart as they had to switch partners. Susan made it to her next partner and looked up at him. She smiled but once she realized who had her in his arms, it quickly faded.

Shocking blue eyes that matched her own were staring down at her with such intensity she felt the need to pull her eyes away.

But she couldn't.

Legolas Greenleaf had Susan hypnotized by his gaze. The two twirled around the dance floor; neither saying a word, just staring at one another.

Susan soon became very aware of him and everything else seemed to fade. The hand she had pressed up against his felt as if ten thousand lightening bolts were running through it. She noticed the distinct way that he was smiling without actually doing so. It was as if he were doing it with his eyes instead of his mouth.

_Those eyes..._That was what had her under this spell. They were piercing and wise. She wanted to know more but nothing could be done for it was time to switch back to their original partners.

Susan and Legolas's hands parted but their eyes did not. Susan returned to Boromir to do one more twirl as she continued to look at the Elf.

"Are you alright, my lady? You seem sort of...shaken." Boromir said, snapping Susan out of her trance.

She looked up at the man and smiled. "Yes, yes. I am fine."

The two parted and went back to the original formation of the dance: the two lines on the opposite side of the floor. The women curtsied and the men bowed right as the beautiful music faded into nothingness.

Everyone clapped before returning to their respective groups of people. Boromir came up to Susan. "Shall we find that brother of yours?" He held out his arm for her to take.

Susan smiled and nodded in agreement.

The two made their way through the growing crowd and finally spotted Peter by a window talking to Strider. Susan and Boromir made it over to them to join in their conversation.

Strider looked at the approaching couple and smiled, or smiled the best the serious man could, alerting Peter that they were no longer alone.

"Queen Susan, you look beautiful." Strider said in a very courtly manner before kissing her hand. "It is good to see you under less...extreme circumstances." He said before turning to shake hands with Boromir.

"Hello."

Boromir nodded, almost competitively. "Hello."

Peter and Susan looked at each other with confused looks before the blonde boy shook his head as if to say t_he men in this world are very strange. _

Susan chuckled once.

Strider looked at her and raised an eyebrow. He was curious to know what made her laugh.

"Shall we go sit?" Peter inquired of the group.

"Not I, unfortunately. There a still some people I need to see tonight and I would like to get it done sooner rather than later." Boromir said. "I shall see you all tomorrow." He bowed regally before making his exit.

"And then there were three." Susan said to her two male companions.

The men nodded.

Strider led the way to the nearest free table and pulled out a chair for Susan. The queen nodded her thanks and took it. Not that she did not believe in chivalry, but Susan felt like the men in Middle Earth tended to take it to all new heights...well, at least the ones she met had. Except the hobbits, that is. It was just that, in Narnia, Susan had more independence. The people knew what she was capable of and left her to her own devices.

Strider sat next to Susan at the round table with Peter next to him.

The three began to chat of subjects that, to Susan, were too serious for a ball such as this one that was meant to be a celebration.

"What does Lord Elrond plan on doing with the Ring of Power?" Peter asked. His elbow rested on the table and his chin rested in his hand. It was painfully obvious to Susan just how badly her brother wanted to help. He lived for adventure and one like this was just simply to good for him to let past by.

"That is why we have all gathered here. To figure out what should be done." Strider responded.

"I would very much like to sit in on this meeting." Peter said, trying not to sound like he was begging.

"Of course, you will come. You are, after all, the prophesied ones." Strider told them.

Susan's face lit up. "You mean we are invited even though most of the members of this council do not trust us?"

Strider looked at her. "They do not trust you because they do not understand what is happening nor do they want to. It is just as Gandalf said early..." The man trailed off and his face fell slightly. "Susan...you will not be allowed to sit in on the meeting tomorrow."

The girl's forehead wrinkled up out of confusion. "Oh? And why is that?" She said, starting to lose her courtly manner. Susan knew exactly why she would not be allowed in the meeting but she just wanted to hear him say it.

Strider sighed. "Because you are a woman."

Susan pursed her lips and let out a forced breath. Peter, knowing what this meant, buried his face in his hands to prepare himself for the out burst that Susan was about to have.

"That is the most ridiculous reason for not being able to go to a meeting that I have ever heard in my entire life! I would understand if I were unqualified or uneducated or simply flighty but I am none of the above!" Susan ranted on, completely outraged.

Strider's eyes widened. Never had he seen Susan lose her composure since they had met. It was actually quite terrifying to witness, he inwardly admitted. "Yes, Susan. I know that you have just as much right as anyone to be there, more right than most actually, but it is against the rules of Lord Elrond's council."

"Since when have you been one to follow the rules, Aragorn?" A new heavenly voice added.

Susan wrinkled her forehead when Strider turned to face the man. _Who was Aragorn?_she thought to herself.She didn't have time to ponder it because the next moment she was once again faced with none other than Legolas Greenleaf.

Strider or Aragorn or whoever he was, smiled and stood up to greet the elf. The two took hold of each other's forearms in a form of greeting. Strider said something to Legolas but it was in a language that neither Susan or Peter understood.

"Do you have a plan for our young queen then, my old friend?" Strider repeated in English.

Legolas looked past Strider's shoulder and let a small, barely noticeable smile creep onto his face. "It is only right for the queen to be present but under the circumstances it would be impossible for her to show herself at the council."

Susan lifted an eyebrow at Legolas as if questioning silently where he was headed with this plan of his.

"However, she does not have to be seen to hear everything that is being said." He finished.

Susan pursed her lips as she thought over the idea.

"So what you are saying is...?" Peter urged him to continue on.

"He is suggesting that I hide somewhere close by where I will be sure to hear the contents of the meeting." Susan explained for her brother.

Legolas smiled a little wider and nodded to show that her thought process was correct.

The smile he wore was gorgeous, it was not hard for Susan to tell. However, it did not work it's magic like his eyes had on the dance floor. Perhaps, she was too angry to fall under his spell again or perhaps she had come to her senses and realized that nothing could come of this...school girl crush she possessed. Either way, Legolas Greenleaf was having no effect on her.

"I mean no disrespect when I say this, my lord, but I will not hide like a child listening to their parent's conversation when I am supposed be at the meeting. Yes, I am a woman and from the looks of it this council needs to see things for a different point of view: that of a woman." Susan said strongly.

Legolas was taken aback by this but by the way his features stayed hard and indifferent no one would ever be able to tell. Never before had he envied someone's spirit as he did right now.

"Then what do you plan to do, Sue?" Peter asked from the chair across from her.

Susan smiled at her brother before turning to the two men standing before her. "I am going to go to that council meeting tomorrow and I would love to see someone try to stop me."

Peter sighed again. There was no stopping her now. Susan had shed her courtly manner and now there was nothing left of her but the strong willed sister that he had grown up with in England. She was more like Susan and less like a Queen now and it was intimidating. He shook his head. Why did he have to bring up the council meeting?

Strider smiled proudly at her. "If this is your wish, my queen. I will stand behind you when you address the council tomorrow."

"As will I." Legolas said.

Susan nodded to them before turning back to Peter. "And what of you, big brother? Are you going to help me even if it means you will be kicked out of the meeting, too?"

Peter smiled. "After all these years, Sue, I know better than to doubt your persistence." He paused. "I'll help you under one condition."

"And what is that, Peter?" Susan said, trying to refrain from rolling her eyes at her brother and his conditions. There was always a catch with Peter.

The boy gave her a smirk. "You better get into that meeting because if I miss out on it I will personally hand you to those Ring Wraiths that got the better of you on Weathertop."

Susan let out a little chuckle. "We have an accord."

Peter nodded at his sister. _Well, _he thought to himself, _this will be very interesting. _

**Okay, just so you know I have no clue what kind of dance I just described. lol. It seemed like something graceful that the elves would do so I hope I didn't break any illusions or anything. Next chapter is the council meeting! Thank you so much for reading! Please tell me what you think so far! **


	6. We Can't Stop The Things We've Started

**Disclaimer- I do not own LotR or Narnia...**

The morning of the council meeting descended upon Susan like an arrow in a target: welcome but also intimidating.

"Good morning, my lady." An elfin maid addressed the queen.

Susan smiled and got up from her plush bed. "It is a good morning, isn't it?"

The elf nodded gracefully before walking over to the bed and laying out a new dress that Susan then realized she was carrying. "Would you like me to help you dress, my lady?" The elf inquired.

Susan shook her head. "No, thank you. I am sure you have better things to do than dress me."

The elfin lady smiled. "As you wish, my lady." She floated gracefully over to the door and exited. The door quietly clicked shut and left Susan alone.

The queen went over to her bed and studied the dress. As always, the elves had bestowed upon her a marvelous creation. Susan ran her hand over the crimson red velvet fabric and smiled. The color would suit her very well, she thought.

Like the other dresses, this one had a wide neck that exposed most of her shoulders. The neckline, wrists, and bottom of the skirt were all lined with gold trim that held an intricate black pattern on it.

Quickly, Susan took off her night gown and through the dress on. Thank Aslan, these elves did not believe in wearing five skirts at one time, but unfortunately, the painful corset had found it's way into Middle Earth and around the waists of it's women.

Susan laced it tightly, but not as tightly as it would have been if someone were helping her, and felt her breath shallow slightly. That was a sure sigh that she had put it on correctly.

After that was settled into place, she threw the dress over her head and slipped into it. The queen then slipped back into her black velvet slippers. Her dressing was complete and all to do then was set her hair.

Susan did not want to do anything too elaborate. She decided on wearing her hair down and pulling back a few front strands and braiding them together. She kept them in place with a golden clip that Arwen had lent to her.

Susan sighed contently. She was all prepared for today.

Susan deducted that it was still too early for Peter to come and collect her to go to the council meeting and that she had a little time. The girl walked out onto the white marble terrace and saw that it was once again a lovely day in Rivendell. The trees below were especially green and lush on this morning. A light breeze picked up and brought with it the smell of pine.

Susan smiled. It was not the sea breeze that she so loved at Cair Paravel but it was glorious just the same. Her face fell slightly at the thought of her beloved Narnia.

Oh, how she missed sweet Narnia. Susan missed everything about it. Being in Middle Earth had, indeed, dulled the sorrow if only for a little while but it could not replace what she had left in Narnia. Her mind floated back to the day her and her family left Narnia the second, and her last, time. That day would be etched into her memory for the rest of her life.

_"That's just it." Susan started sadly. "We aren't coming back." _

_ Caspian's face fell in shock and sadness, Susan could tell that was what he was feeling because the same emotions were running through her. _

_ Some part of the queen heard Lucy begin to speak but did not catch the words. Her eyes were locked with Caspian's soulful brown ones. It was as if the two were speaking silently to each other through their gazes. _

_ Soon Susan had to look down. If she held his glance any longer she knew it would be even harder to leave than it already was going to be. Aslan had told her that she had learned all that she could in Narnia and had to live in her own world now. Susan was a reasonable girl and understood that there was no changing her fate. She had accepted it and if Caspian looked at her like that any longer then it was quite possible that she would start to think irrationally._

_ The Gentle Queen looked down at her little sister, put a kind hand on her small shoulder, and smiled. _

_ "It's okay, Lu. It's not how we thought it would be either." Peter said. The boy looked up at the elder of his sisters and gave her a small reassuring nod. He shot a glance at Caspian before looking back at her as if saying to go and say goodbye to him. _

_ Susan pursed her lips and sighed shakily. So, this was it. _

_ As her brothers and sisters turned to say their goodbyes to their friends. Susan slowly looked over at Caspian and took cautious steps toward him. _

_ She stopped in front of him and gave the new king a smile. _

_ "I wish we had more time together." He said in a heavily accented voice that Susan just adored. _

_ The queen held back tears. "It never would have worked out between us anyway." Susan said sadly. _

_ Caspian gave her a confused look. "Why not?" He asked lowly. _

_ Susan smiled a sad smile in his direction. The smile faded as her eyes locked once again with his. She shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought it would make it easier to leave if I said that." She paused. "Apparently not." The queen was beginning to choke up as she continued to stare into Caspian's eyes. _

_ As they stood locked in each other's gaze Susan couldn't help but feel like they were Romeo and Juliet: Star Crossed Lovers. _

_ No, she needed to stop thinking like that. They were not together nor could they ever be. She might as well not think of Caspian at all except for as a platonic friend. Quickly, the queen ripped her blue eyes away from Caspian's trance. She gave him a small smile before walking slowly back toward her siblings. _

_ She made it all of three feet before she stopped. As if her body were acting on it's own, Susan spun around, marched up to Caspian, and kissed him on the lips. The kiss was soft and gentle but carried all of the emotions that Susan could not express out loud. Gasps ran through the crowd of Narnians that were assembled in front of them and Susan had to force herself to pry her lips away from Caspian. _

_ The two looked at each other for a second before Caspian engulfed Susan in a hug, resting his head on her shoulder. Susan squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to keep the tears at bay. She was a queen and couldn't let vulnerability show to her subjects. _

_ Susan placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away gently. The brunette smiled up at him only to see that he was staring at her with a serious, saddened face. _

_ Susan had to turn away quickly. She walked away from him and over to stand with her siblings. Lucy grabbed her sister's hand and gave it a little squeeze. Susan smiled down at the sweet girl before looking back at Caspian. He gave her a reassuring nod. _

_ "Come on, Sue." Peter said while putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's time to go." _

A knock sounded on the door, shoving Susan out of her memory. She cleared her throat. "Come in."

The next second the door opened and Peter poked his head in. He smiled. "Are you ready to go."

Susan nodded. Once again, indeed, it was time to go.

* * *

Peter and Susan entered the court yard where the council meeting was to take place. There were a number of high backed chairs set up in a semicircle facing a more regal looking chair. All of the seats were filled up with men, elves, and dwarves except for one on the far left next to Frodo: the one seat that was met for Peter.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Susan? These people of Middle Earth do not seem to akin to changing the rules." Peter asked.

His sister just gave him a look and he knew that her mind was made up.

The blonde boy sighed. "Well, here goes nothing."

The two siblings took the last few steps into the center ring. The chatter that was buzzing around them came to a sudden halt as the rest of those in attendance turned. Susan saw that all eyes had their attention to her and her brother. She felt uncomfortable under their gazes, her back straightened even more than it already was.

Lord Elrond, who sat facing everyone else, stood up and walked over to the two siblings. He bowed gracefully and gave the Pevensies a small smile. "How kind of you to join us." He said.

"We are here to help, my lord." Peter answered.

Lord Elrond nodded and laid his eyes on Susan. "Unfortunately, Queen Susan, you will not be able to sit in on the meeting."

Susan kept her cool. "Oh? Why, my lord?"

The elf cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable from having to discuss this. "Because women are not allowed to come to the council meetings, I'm afraid." Mummers popped up behind the elf as the council began to talk over this new revelation.

Susan smiled. "Sir, I promise that my gender does not interfere with my ability to listen and disgust information."

"I realize that, my queen, but-"

"I will not cause disruption to the meeting nor disruption to those in attendance." Susan interrupted.

"I know, my lady, but the rules say-"

"Rules are made to be bent and changed, sir. They always have been." She smiled gently. It had always been a talent of Susan's to passive aggressive and she hoped that it would work for her advantage right then.

Lord Elrond looked at her with semi-frustrated eyes. He was internally debating about what he should be doing.

"My lord, you want my sister at this meeting. She is smart and would be a great help, I promise." Peter said reasonably.

Lord Elrond pursed his lips and turned around to address his council. "Does anyone object to letting the queen sit in on this meeting?"

The men, elves, and dwarves looked around as if waiting for someone to say something in protest. A moment passes before a small dwarf with red hair stood up, leaning heavily on an ax.

"I object." He said regrettably. "I am sorry, my lady, but I do not think it right for a women to be here."

Suddenly, Legolas stood up, outraged. "You would object to elves being here if you had a say in the matter, dwarf; therefore, I do not leave you opinion in high regard."

Susan's mouth fell open a little. She did not expect Legolas to be such a forward man, it was strange to see someone so calm act out so disrespectfully.

The elf and dwarf were staring each other down and ready to fight. Thankfully, Strider stood up and held a hand up. He spoke something in elvish to Legolas who visibly relaxed before sitting down.

Once the situation was settled, Strider turned to Lord Elrond. "My lord, she has just as much right to be here as any of us." He looked around. "More than some, actually."

"If you want our help, sir, than I suggest you let my sister stay." Peter said with authority.

Lord Elrond shook his head as if making a hard decision. His eyes finally went up to look at the council again. "Queen Susan _is _one of the prophesied ones, gentlemen. Due to this fact, I believe that she is more than capable of hearing what we say here today." He looked back at the Pevensies and smiled.

Susan bowed her head in a silent gesture to say thank you. The elf nodded in return before holding his hand to welcome them in.

Peter offered the single chair to his sister. She sat down next to Frodo while Peter stood on her right. The small hobbit looked nervous as he sat looking down at his feet. Susan put a hand on Frodo's small one. The hobbit jumped slightly at the touch and turned to look at Susan.

The queen simply smiled, trying to sooth the hobbit.

Frodo gave her a an unenthusiastic smile in return before turning his head back down to look at his hands.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands on the brink of destruction, none can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo " Lord Elrond called, causing the hobbit to jump again. His eyes darted around in a paranoid fashion as if he felt someone were going to attack him. The worried expression on his face soon faded as he stood up, walked over to a small stone table in the middle of the semicircle, and placed the delicate looking gold band on it.

The crowd began to whisper to one another as they all stared at awe at the Ring of Power. Peter stared at the small trinket with extreme interest. If he did not know that it was impossible, he would have believed that the ring was whispering his name over and over. His forehead wrinkled in concentration as he listened harder.

_You have the power... _It whispered.

Peter raised an eyebrow. He must have been going mad to be hearing rings talk to him.

Susan was also staring at the gold band. From where she was seated, it looked as if the ring was breathing; living. If she had never seen the Ring she would have never understood why the people of Middle Earth feared it so. Susan had goose bumps raising on her arms because of the malice the Ring radiated from it's being.

"We have all gathered here to decide the fate of this one ring." Lord Elrond announced. "From the fires of Mordor it was created and there this magic must be undone." He paused. "Who among you is willing to accept this mission?"

The men in the circle all looked around silently as if trying to find out who would be willing to destroy the ring. Peter could not help but wonder why there was so much hesitation among them. The blonde boy put a hand on his sister's shoulder.

Susan looked up at him and nodded, knowing already what he was silently asking. The queen stood up and with her brother by her side, the two stepped forward.

"We shall take it." She said with the utmost confidence.

Half of the men stared at the two in awe, the other with shock; either way all eyes were on the Pevensies.

"I beg your pardon my queen but one does not simply walk into Mordor. It's black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The great eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash, and flame. The very air you breath is a poisonous fume. Not with two royals or ten thousand warriors could you do this. It is folly." Boromir said gravely.

Susan looked up at her brother with weary eyes. This was going to be harder than she thought but it was by no means folly.

"We shall take it." Peter said again. "My sister and I were sent here for a reason and I do not think it was to give up at the first sigh of hardship."

"Lad, your courage is admirable but foolish." A small dwarf said from his seat.

"Well they are a positive lot, aren't they?" Susan whispered to Peter, who in return, gave her a glare. He knew how Susan could get when things were not going the way she wished them to.

"Well, I do not see anyone else volunteering so what other options are there?" Peter questioned the council.

No one answered for a moment until Boromir stood up like he had a sudden epiphany. "Give the Ring to Gondor." He said with a smile on his face. "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy so we can use it against them!"

Susan recalled that Gondor is where Boromir was from and where Peter had stayed before he had come to Rivendell. To her, the idea sounded like it might be able to work. The idea of destroying the ring was to make sure this...what had Strider called him? Sauron did not have the ring. If they gave the ring to Gondor then they would keep it away from the enemy and have something to defend themselves, perhaps even save Middle Earth. But then Strider spoke.

"The Ring answers to Sauron alone. You cannot wield it." He said.

Then it hit Susan. This weapon was evil and earlier she saw for herself that it was as if it had a life of it's own. It would not serve Gondor but corrupt it.

"No," Boromir said as his eyes locked onto the Ring. His hand began to slowly extend toward it. "You are wrong. It is a gift..."

Gandalf shot up out of his chair and hit his walking stick against the stone floor, causing a noise that resembled thunder to erupt through the air. He began to shout in a language that Susan had never heard before in her life. The force of his words alone caused clouds to roll overhead and the ground beneath her feet to tremble. His words stopped and he looked at the man from Gondor.

"Boromir!" He shouted in his deep voice.

Boromir jumped as if waking up from a day dream. He pursed his lips before stepping back and practically falling back into his seat. He rested his head in one of his hands, looking ashamed of himself.

"Never before had the language of Mordor been uttered here, Gandalf." Lord Elrond said sternly. The elf was clearly displeased.

"I do not beg your pardon, Lord Elrond, because we will all very soon be hearing the tongue of Mordor all the time!" He said, still angry at Boromir.

"The Ring must be destroyed! That is the only answer!" Legolas yelled, finally joining with the conversation.

"Oh, and I suppose you think you should be the one to do it?" The red headed dwarf yelled back. "I'd rather die than see the Ring in the hands of an elf!"

The other elves stood up besides Legolas, towering over the dwaves threateningly. Both parties soon began to scream at each other and everything disintegrated into chaos.

Susan sighed and shook her head. She could live without men and their ever abundant egos. Leaving well enough alone, Susan sat back down in the chair and waited for the men to calm themselves down.

Soon enough, Gandalf was in the middle of the mob and shouting. "This is madness! Suaron is out there plotting and planning to destroy us...!" The rest of his words were lost in the chaos that had taken over. Even Peter was thrown into the mix, coming to the aid of Boromir.

Next to her, Susan could feel Frodo shrinking into his chair as if the words were hurting him. She turned to look at the hobbit. His eyes were wide and staring.

"Frodo?" She asked, only to receive no answer. Susan's eyebrows scrunched up as her head turned to see what the small boy was staring at: it was the ring. Her lips pursed as she turned back to the hobbit. "Frodo? What are you doing?" She asked, concerned.

All of a sudden it seemed he came to his senses. He shock his head once as if to wake up before shooting up from his chair. "I shall take it!" He said with authority.

Susan shot up from her seat at those words.

"I shall take it!" He repeated when no one seemed to have heard him the first time.

Sure enough, all the voices faded as the men stared at this small hobbit. Susan put a reassuring hand on Frodo's shoulder as he faced the crowd.

"I will take it." He said once more. It seemed to be more to himself than anyone else. "But I do not know the way."

The men's eyes began to dart around as if wondering once again who would volunteer.

Gandalf's face fell as he took a deep breath and stepped forward. He came to stand in front of Frodo. "This is not what I wanted to for you, Frodo. But if this is the road you have chosen, then I shall take you down it." He paused. "I will go with you."

Instantly, Strider was up standing next to Gandalf. He knelt down in front of Frodo and placed both hands on his shoulders. "By my life or death, I will protect you. You have my sword."

"And my bow." Legolas said as he too took a step forward.

"And my ax." The redheaded dwarf said, looking gingerly up at Legolas.

He muttered something under his breath that Susan didn't quite catch but knew it had something to do with Legolas. She smirked.

"You carry the fate of us all little one." A new voice said, Boromir's, as he pushed his way through the crowd. He still looked skeptical about this mission but Susan had a feeling he'd rather go along and risk his life to keep an eye on the trinket than be safe and have no idea what happened to it. "If this is, indeed, the will of the Council, Gondor will see it done."

Frodo smiled a little before looking back at Peter and Susan. Susan put her hand back on his shoulder. "We were sent here for a reason and I think this was it, Frodo. I swear, that my brother and I will be there with you to the end whether we are successful or not. You also have my bow."

Peter came to stand next to his sister and smiled as he placed a hand on his old friend, Rhindon. The sword gave him strength even in these frightening and unclear times. "You have my sword, Frodo."

"Wait!" Yet another voice came from behind. Susan turned to see Sam running up the walk way to stand next to his best friend. "Mr. Frodo isn't going anywhere without me." He said sternly.

Lord Elrond raised his eyebrows at the blonde hobbit and let something that resembled a smirk spread across his beautiful face. "Clearly, considering the two of you could not be separated even when he was summoned to a secret council and you were not." He smiled. "You may join."

"Well, we are coming too!"

Susan shook her head as Merry's voice registered in her ears. Sure enough, the two more youthful hobbits ran to stand with their friends.

"You need people of intelligence on this sort of...mission...quest...thing." Pippin said with a very final nod of his head. He side glanced at Susan. "And someone to protect the queen from danger."

Susan smirked. If anyone else had something like that she would have quickly corrected them and said she needed no protection but when it came from Pip it sounded nothing short of sweet and sincere.

Merry stared at his best friend for a moment with a wrinkled forehead. "Well that rules you out, Pip."

Pippin's face fell a little but he stayed optimistic.

Lord Elrond stared at the group that had assembled to go for a second before taking a deep breath. "Eleven companions...you shall become the Fellowship of the Ring." He announced powerfully.

Susan smiled, as did the hobbits.

"Great!" Pippin said, excited. He was thoughtful for a second. "Where are we going?"

* * *

Susan was at home on the practice field. It was the afternoon before her and her companions were due to leave and she wanted to get in some last minute practice in the off case that she was rusty. But surprisingly, it was exactly like riding a bike.

Once she held the bow up she could feel the magic of it running through her veins and knew instantly that the arrow would find it's target where ever she aimed it.

Susan raised the bow up and anchored the string against her lip. Closing one eye, she focused in on the very red center of the target. Out of habit she pursed her lips in concentration. A deep breath and then she released the arrow.

A short whistling sound filled her ears before a firm _thwack! _

Susan lowered her bow to examine her shot. It was dug deep in the very center of the bull's eye. A small smile spread across her face at the sight of it.

"Impressive." A calm voice complemented.

Susan spun quickly to see Legolas standing there with his bow in his hand. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you surprised?" She questioned, semi-annoyed, before turning around and notching another arrow.

"To be quite honest, I am slightly, My Lady." He said as he neared Susan and stood at the target next to her.

Susan tensed slightly as a small surge of anger ran through her but she remained indifferent on the outside. She pulled the bow up to eye level. "Oh?" She asked as she let loose the arrow; it found it's home in the center again.

"Yes, I knew you would be an excellent marksmen but I did not know you had skill that rivaled an elves." He said as he took an arrow out of his quiver.

Susan turned to him and lifted an eyebrow. "You can do better?"

Legolas allowed a small, closed lip smile appear on his face before taking the bow up and aiming at Susan's target. It took him only a second to release the arrow.

Susan followed it's path and saw that it was dug into the target; splitting her's in two.

She turned to look back and Legolas with red, embarrassed cheeks. "Clearly, you can."

The elf chuckled once. "I did not mean to offend you. My lady, it is the gift of the elves. We have the immortal ability of aim and precision. Do not take offense."

Susan's blue eyes shot up. "Immortal, my lord?"

Legolas nodded. "Another gift of the elves."

Susan couldn't help but tilt her head to the side in fascination and curiosity. These elves were probably the most interesting thing she had come by since being in Middle Earth. "So what you are saying is...you will be as you are right now for the rest of eternity?"

Legolas shook his head. "No, it is not like that exactly. We just age very, very slowly. It takes many years for us to age what you do in one."

Susan bit her lip. There was question she was dying to ask but thought it rude if she did. In civil society one would not ask it and she did not think it would be considered appropriate here either.

As if sensing what she was thinking, Legolas grinned slightly. "I am 2931 years of age." He said, quietly, almost embarrassed but Susan would not have noticed. She was too surprised.

Her mouth fell slightly. "You must be joking. You do not look any older than twenty-five."

Legolas just nodded before taking another arrow and shooting it at his target; it was a perfect shot. "Age is only a number...nothing more." He paused. "Aragorn is older as well, though. He is one of the Dunedin, blessed with long life, and he is eighty-seven." He said as if justifying being old and looking young.

Susan nodded. "I suppose that makes sense." She said truthfully. "His eyes are very wise, too wise for a man of his age...yours are the same." The girl nodded before taking another red-feathered arrow and notching it in her beautifully crafted bow.

"You are older than you appear, too." It was a statement, not a question.

Susan took a deep, soothing breath before lowering her bow with the arrow at rest in the string. "What makes you say such a thing, my lord?"

He studied her for a minute before answering. "It is true that the eyes are the windows to the soul and yours tell a story of a women who has seen much in her life; much more than a girl of your age could. You, also, view the world differently than many young princesses that I have encountered over the years."

She raised an eyebrow. "And how is that?"

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the weight of his response. He took a calculated step toward Susan. "You see things how they are, my queen. No embellishments, no fantasies, just...the reality of it all."

Susan chuckled once humorlessly. She nodded, causing her brown hair to fall in to her face a small bit. Despite how right he was about her, Susan could not bring herself to tell him her true age. It was such a minuet age compared to the ones he possessed. She felt like an infant just standing next to him.

"Am I correct with this reasoning, my lady?" He asked curiously.

Susan looked up from her bow and into his shockingly blue eyes. She nodded again. "I was thirty at one time..." She drifted off as she went back to the Golden Age of her kingdom. Those times were better, when she and her siblings were older and wiser. Peter was only sixteen when they first entered Narnia and Susan was fifteen. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would be forced back into her teenage body and transported back to England to live her old life. She had been a queen before she turned back into a child.

"What changed that?" Legolas asked again, taking another step toward her.

Now, only a mere three feet separated the two of them. As he came closer and closer, Susan's breathing slowed until she was not breathing at all. She coudln't answer his question while he was staring at her like that. She decided to just remain silent.

Legolas stopped a foot in front of her and looked down at the queen with serious blue eyes. "Lord Boromir was not exaggerating when he said that Mordor was dangerous, my queen. It isn't a mission that a women should set out on." He said quietly, almost reluctantly.

Susan stared at him blankly for a second before taking a step back and scoffing, no longer a gentle queen but an angered teenage girl. "You do not know me. How dare you insinuate that I am not capable of going on this mission."

Legolas looked down at his feet. "I did not say that you were incapable-"

"Just that I am a woman and cannot make the journey because of it." Susan accused through pursed lips. How dare he? How dare this elf make such a comment like that.

"My Queen-" He said gently, looking up at her again. "We more than likely will not come back from this quest. It is harsh but it is the truth. I fear this mission will end all who venture on it..." His tone was sad but strong. It was just the facts. He knew what he was getting himself into.

Susan looked into his bright blue eyes and nodded. "And I shall die right beside you all if that is the will of Aslan." She shook her head. "Please do not treat me like I am child who needs to be told what is best for her. I am a grown woman and I can think for myself."

Legolas pursed his lips and bowed his head, putting his right fist over his heart at the same time. "Forgive me. I just wanted you to be safe...for King Peter's sake."

He said nothing else. The next second he picked up his bow and quiver and disappeared from the archery field, leaving nothing but a confused Susan in his wake.

She sighed before picking up her own weapons; it was time for her to go prepare for this mission no matter what it had in store for her.

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I enjoyed writing it! I hope to update sooner than I did for this one...it was a long wait and I'm sorry for it. Anyway, tell me what you think please! Thanks for reading!**


	7. The Lonesome Road

**Disclaimer- I do not own Narnia or Lord of the Rings...I just envy the people that do.**

**I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

The Fellowship had been traveling for several hours before deciding that they needed to take a short break. The hobbits were flagging behind the group about twenty feet with Gimili, the dwarf who was still grumbling about Susan coming on the mission, ten feet in front of them. Susan and Peter walked next to each other with Boromir, Gandelf, and Strider in front of them, making the tightest-knit group.

Legolas led the way. He was currently standing on a rocky part of the terrain staring out into the distance.

"Miss Susan?" Sam asked as he ran up to the queen. "Do you think we could stop soon?" The poor hobbit was out of breath as he spoke with pleading.

Susan placed an arm around his shoulder and looked over at Strider. He pursed his lips and looked up ahead at Legolas.

"Do you see anything up ahead?" Strider called to him.

The elf turned quickly, squinted, and shook his head to indicate that all was clear. It was then Strider's turn to nod. "We can rest here...for a while. We must keep moving."

The hobbits all sighed a breath of relief as they unloaded their packs onto nearby boulders. The rest of the Fellowship followed suit, letting the heavy loads go to free their aching backs.

Peter handed a canteen of water to his sister. She smiled slightly and drank. The water was cool and soothing as it flowed down her throat. The queen sighed in contentment.

"I am going to go take a look around and see what we are in store for around here." Peter stated as he took the water back and sipped. "Will you be okay?" He asked.

Susan narrowed his eyes at him.

Peter put his hands up in motion of defeat. "Right, Susan the Brave doesn't need any protection." He said with a smirk causing Susan to scoff.

"Susan the Brave just needs protection from Peter the Annoying." She chuckled. "I'm alright here...I just need to rest."

Peter nodded. "I'll see you in a while then."

With those words, Peter was off and within minutes out of sight thanks to the large boulder cliff.

Susan looked away from where her brother had gone and over to the small, flat area where Boromir was now attempting to teach Merry and Pippin to fight with swords. The hobbits looked so confused holding the swords; they might as well have been holding a gun for all they knew about them.

A small smile spread across Susan's face as Boromir began his instructions. To her, Boromir didn't seem like the friendliest type, to be honest she felt her trust for him running thin since the council meeting, but he had taken quite nicely to the two, less serious, hobbits. They brought out a more youthful side of Boromir that Susan didn't believe had come out for a very long time.

Susan could see from the corner of her eye someone sit down next to her. She turned to see Strider, staring straight ahead looking at the battle practice.

"How are you faring, my queen?" He asked, eyes still following the sword fight. Susan's blue eyes also turned back just in time to see Pippin take a swing at Boromir's shins.

"Just fine, thank you." She responded.

The two were quiet for a while as they watched. Susan did not pay much attention to the battle; she was lost in thought. Some things did not make sense about Middle Earth and she wanted some answers. Out of all the members of the Fellowship, Susan felt most comfortable talking to the man next to her.

She sighed. It was as good a time as any to get into a conversation. "Your name is not Strider, it's Aragorn." She did not ask but stated.

She could hear the smile in his voice as he answered. "It is, my lady."

Susan nodded. "Might I ask where we are headed?"

Aragorn chuckled. "You can ask anything you wish, my lady. After all, you and your brother are risking your own lives in order to save our world." He paused, looking over his shoulder at Gandalf. "I believe we are heading South to-"

"Ouch! You got me!" Pippin suddenly shouted in rage and surprise at Boromir, cutting Aragorn short.

Susan looked up to see that Boromir looked and felt guilty. He was just about to go over and comfort the hobbit when Pippin and Merry both charged him, taking the poor man down on his back.

"Hey!" Aragorn said as he got up to go aid his fellow man. "That is enough, you-"

He did not have time to finish. Just like with Boromir, the hobbits stormed Aragorn and took his legs right out from under him.

Susan could not help but bust into a fit of laughter at the sight of the two grown men taken out by the three-foot tall hobbits. The sight was almost preposterous.

"Well, clearly it is the two of you that need practice instead of Merry and Pippin." Susan managed to say between laughs.

"I would love to see what you can do, my lady." A new deep voice, Gimili's, said. Susan shook her head at the dwarf. Why did he doubt her so much?

"Gladly, would you care if I demonstrated on you?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

The dwarf laughed. "I could never duel a lady...I was thinking more along the lines of the young hobbits there."

Susan looked back at Merry and Pippin, both of whom were looking at her with wide eyes and shaking heads. They didn't want to duel her either. The girl smiled. She knew the men, or any other member of the Fellowship, would be unlikely to fight her because of her gender; their chivalry had them tight in it's clutches.

Just then, Peter came back around the bend that he had disappeared from before. Susan looked over at him followed by the rest of their company.

The king looked around with questioning eyes as the stares continued. His gaze darted around. "What?" He asked with a shrug.

Susan smiled again. "Peter? Will you do your little sister a favor and attack me, please?" She teased.

Peter raised an eyebrow as he looked around at the other members of the Fellowship. With realization hitting him, he smiled at the thought that his comrades would still not face Susan. "Sure," He said. "Okay."

The king pulled his sword loose and jumped down to where Susan stood.

His sister unsheathed her own sword, which had been given to her by Aragorn, and smiled as she held it in front of her.

The crowd that had formed around the brother-sister pair went silent.

"Ladies first." Peter announced as he bowed mockingly to his sister. In his mind, this would be something fun. Sure, Susan was not more skilled than him with a blade but she had some tricks up her sleeves that always kept him on his toes.

Susan twirled the sword around in her hand for a second. Her eyes had narrowed into thin slits as adrenaline began bumping through her veins.

The next instant, she began her attack. She thrusted her sword forward, attempting to strike Peter in the chest, and missed due to his sharp eye and years of sword training.

It was her turn to go on the defensive as Peter swung his sword over his head, it was his trademark move, and descended upon her. Their swords met with a loud metallic clink. Both siblings were fully immersed in the battle then.

Gimili watched as the pair spared. Both were graceful, strong fighters. He was surprised that he thought this way of the queen. After all, no other woman of her status would know how to handle a blade, why should he expect her too? But she was no ordinary queen; she was a Great Defender of Middle Earth.

The two continued on while everyone watched, enthralled. Gandalf made his way over to where Aragorn was standing. The wizard leaned heavily on his staff as stared in amazement. "I was wrong about the two of them, especially Susan." He admitted.

The ranger gave a weak half-smile. "It is understandable to think something so delicate cannot be so fierce in battle."

That instant Peter thrusted his sword in the direction of Susan's midsection. The queen spun out of the way of the blade and went on to the offensive.

Gandalf shook his head. "You know there is more to their destinies here than meets the eye, Aragorn." The wizard spoke gravely.

Aragorn's eyebrows wrinkled together as he preyed his eyes from the battle and turned to look at the aging, gray man. "What do you mean?"

Gandalf sighed and adjusted his staff to support his weight a little better. "There is more to their prophecy then meets the eye." He paused. "They were sent here to help defend Middle Earth, of course, but...their role here does not end after that."

Aragorn's face went blank with confusion. "I still do not understand." He admitted.

With one eyebrow raised, Gandalf turned to face the ranger. "Are you quite sure of that? Because I think you do understand but will not admit it." Another pause then a smile. "You are part of their destiny...especially Susan's...the powers that surround us have intertwined your fates. The only question now is what you will do about it."

Aragorn looked over at the Pevensie's. His eyes watched Susan as she smiled, like this was something fun, and kicked her brother in the shine. Peter gave a small howl of pain and let his guard down for a fraction of a second. It was just enough time for Susan to swoop in and disarm him.

The king's beautiful sword fell to the rocky terrain below his feet at the same instant the sword Aragorn had given Susan went to his neck. Peter sighed and shook his head before going to his knees and putting his hands up in defeat.

"You win." He announced glumly.

Susan smiled again before removing her sword from his neck and helping him to his feet.

"Gandalf, I still do not-" Aragorn started as the hobbits began swarming the dark haired queen.

"In time, you will, my friend. In time, you will." Gandalf put a hand on Aragorn's shoulder for a fraction of a second before going forward to the Pevensie's.

"What a marvolous display!" He called with a small smile playing on his wrinkling features. "I must say, Lady Susan, you have the Fellowship eating their words."

Susan's eyes went from the wizard to Gimili and Boromir, the two in the group that doubted her the most. "Is this true, gentlemen? Have I proven my worth?"

Gimili looked at her in amazement and awe; his mouth hung open slightly. "My Lady, you have proven to be a very worthy opponent indeed."

Susan chuckled and looked up at the man from Gondor. Boromir smiled slightly. "You have given the hobbits a run for their money, my queen."

Feeling insulted, the hobbits ran over to Boromir and began to chase him, yelling such things as "come back here!" and "get him!".

The scene of Boromir running for his life from Merry and Pippin caused the tension to ease and for everyone to dissolve into small groups and go about doing what needed to be done before they must continue on.

Susan waited as Peter went to pick up his sword. He wiped it off on his tunic before putting back in it's red leather holder on his hip. He went back over to Susan and smiled.

"Well done, little sister." He congratulated.

When Susan noticed that they were alone she narrowed her eyes dangerously at her brother. "You let me win." She whispered venomously as she poked him, hard, in the chest.

Peter rolled his eyes. "So? I thought you wanted to show them that you were capable of holding your own in a battle. What is the problem?"

She scoffed. "Yes, I want them to accept me but on_ my _terms. I cannot beat you in a fair fight, Peter, and I wanted them to know that. They should know exactly what I am capable of, not what my big brother will let me get away with."

Peter pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side as he studied his sister. "Their opinion really matters to you, doesn't it, Sue?"

The girl sighed but nodded. "I just-I don't want them to think that since I am a woman I am incompetent. I don't want to be treated as the outcast." She paused. "I can hold my own in a battle and they need to know that they cannot treat me as if I am below them simply based on gender. It's rubbish."

The blonde king shook his head. "I love you, Susan, but you are so proud sometimes."

She chuckled. "And you aren't, Magnificent King Peter?"

Peter joined her in the laughter. "Quite true, it must be a family trait."

The mention of family caused Susan's face to fall. The thought of Edmund and Lucy made her indescribably sad. "Do you think they are safe, Peter?"

One side of Peter's mouth turned up as he thought. "Yes, I think they are...but we cannot worry about them now,Susan. We just have to be thankful that they are not here to fight this war with us. Aslan will watch over them now, where ever they are."

He gave his sister a comforting hug, held on for a second, then let go. "I'm going to see if I can find some water." He said before heading over to where Boromir stood with the two hobbits who had become his friends.

Susan sighed before walking over to where she left her pack and sitting down. She rummaged inside of the brown leather bag for a moment before her hand emerged with a piece of cloth. She wiped the fabric over the back of her neck and across her forehead.

"You fought well. It was a deserved win." A voice, Legolas's, said as the man it belonged to came to sit next to the girl.

Susan glanced at him from the corner of her eye as she returned the cloth to her pack. "I think we both know I did not deserve to win that fight." She said, annoyed.

"Even so, it is most impressive." He told her politely .

Susan rolled her eyes and decided to just stare forward, over a ridge, at the landscape of Middle Earth. The chivalry that the men-or elves- of Middle Earth possessed was undying.

As she thought, Susan and the elf were silent for a moment.

Susan heard Legolas take a deep breath. "I have said something offensive again, haven't I?" He questioned as he turned his blue eyes slightly to look at her.

Susan pursed her lips and looked back at him. She did not know what it was about the elf that got her so irritated at times and light headed at others but what she did know for a fact was that she did not like the uncertainty that came with being around him; it reminded her so much of some one else...

"Why would you say such a thing, my lord? Do I seem the type to get offended easily?" She asked, completely intrigued on what his answer would be.

Legolas's face was serious as he studied her studying him. What was it about her that made him act so, well, childish? He felt like he was always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time when it came to this foreign queen. He took a calming breath.

"No, I did not mean-" He cut off and tried again. This behavior was very uncharacteristic for an elf. It was the strangest of feelings Legolas possessed. "No, my lady, I do not think you to be the easily offended sort. It's just that..."

"Yes?" Susan prompted the elf.

Legolas did not get the chance to answer her. Gimili's deep voice suddenly broke the peaceful calm that had enveloped the Fellowship for a brief period of time. "What is that, there?"

His small, chubby fingers pointed up to the clear blue sky where a small...well, Susan was not exactly sure what it was. She squinted her eyes, trying to focus in on the black mass, but it still did not reveal it's self.

"It's just a wisp of cloud." Peter said, returning from the water hunt, and staring like everyone else.

"That is no cloud." Boromir said, horror filled his voice.

Next to Susan, Legolas was now standing up and staring into the distance. His amazing blue eyes suddenly widened in recognition. "Crabbit from Dublin!" He exclaimed, half horrified, half annoyed.

"Hide!" Gandalf called.

The next instant everyone was hustling around. Aragorn splashed water onto the fire, causing it to sizzle and smoke. The rest of the Fellowship rushed to find a place to hide.

Susan did not understand what was so wrong about these creatures but she had no time to ponder the idea. Legolas grabbed her by her thin wrist and quickly began to run for cover. He found a crevice in the ridge and pulled Susan into it with him. Susan stuck a peak outside and saw that everyone else was hidden; it was like they were never there.

"What is happening?" Susan asked, semi-scared.

Legolas simply put a single finger to his lips to quiet the queen.

It was then that the Crabbit descended upon them. The sound of screeching and the flapping of wings filled Susan's ears. The cloud of bird-like creatures flew over the area, swarming as if they were looking for something, before leaving just as quickly as they had arrived.

The Fellowship stayed as they were a few seconds more to make sure that all was safe. Soon enough, heads popped out of their hiding spaces followed by the bodies they belonged to.

Susan crawled out of the nook, followed closely by Legolas. "What in Aslan's name was that?" She questioned as she watched the birds fade into the distance.

"Spies of Saruman!" Gandalf spat from the above them. He made his way to the rest of the Fellowship that were now congregating around Aragorn. Susan went to stand by her brother. Gandalf continued when he arrived in front of them all. "The passage South is being watched." He shook his head, his tone grave.

"So where do we go from here?" Peter asked, looking semi-annoyed at this new development.

"We could make for the gap of Rohan and take the road south to my city." Boromir suggested.

"The gap of Rohan takes us to close to Isengard; we would not be safe." Aragorn stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Gandalf, we could take the passage through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin will give us a royal welcome." Gimili stated with pride running through his voice.

Gandalf shook his head. "No, no. " He paused as if internally debating what way to go. The elderly man sighed before sitting down on a nearby white boulder. His eyes went up to look at something over Susan's shoulder.

The queen turned around to see a very large, snow topped mountain looming in the distance. Susan shook her head as a large sigh escaped her lungs. She knew what Gandalf's plan was and honestly, she was not too excited about it; but, she would not complain.

"No, Gimili." Gandalf repeated. "We will not go under the mountains...but go over them."

**Please, tell me what you think. The feedback always help. Even if I do not have the time to answer you back, please know that your reviews are always read and appreciated. Thank you for reading!**


	8. Some Roads Lead Nowhere

**Disclaimer- I do not own LotR or Narnia. **

**Here is the newest chapter! I hope you enjoy it!**

When Gandalf said that they were to go over the mountain, Susan imagined that the wizard would use magic to transport them to the other side. But now they were literally climbing over the freezing, snow covered peak. As she walked over the frozen ground below her, Susan was mentally slapping herself for thinking such a thing. If it were that easy for them to get from one place to another then they would already be at Mount Doom to cast the ring into the fire.

"How are you fairing, my lady?" Legolas asked as he walked next to the queen _above _the snow. Susan looked up at him.

"I am well enough." She answered before looking down at his feet as they effortlessly glided over the white snow. "Though, I must admit that I am slightly envious of this particular gift of the elves that you possess."

Legolas smiled slightly. "I am sorry."

Susan, for some reason, smiled back.

The two's eyes then connected, shocking blue staring into shocking blue. It was only when they heard Frodo gasp that they looked away. In an instant, both had an arrow knotched in their bows and ready to fire.

Susan sighed when she turned to see that the poor hobbit had simply fallen, nothing more.

"Is it me or are those two a little edgy?" Peter asked Gandalf while nodging him in the ribs gently.

The graying man laughed. "I believe it has something to do with the bowmen in the them. Archers are always on their guard."

Peter agreed with the statement. No one was more reserved than his dear sister; however, he did not think that her archery was the only thing that made her that way. Peter's blue eyes turned to Legolas and he pursed his lips. Leaving Narnia and Caspin had nearly destroyed Susan and Peter was going to make sure that she never felt that way again.

From farther down the hill, Susan could see Peter's glares burning a hole in Legolas's back and they forced her to roll her eyes. Her overprotective big brother had nothing to worry about; she was not thick enough to make the same mistake she did before with Prince...Caspin.

Susan closed her eyes at the thought of him. She had thought that through the months she had moved on from the Narnian Prince but clearly not. The queen hated that she was not strong enough to get over him.

"Is something the matter, Miss Susan?" A small voice inquired.

Susan looked down to see Sam looking up at her with tired eyes. She smiled. "No, everything is fine."

The hobbit nodded before going ahead with Frodo who had just passed them by. Susan looked behind her to see who was bringing up the rear. She saw Aragorn standing still with his hand on his sword and narrowed eyes.

Susan noted that his glare was directed at the back of Boromir's head. She concluded that something serious almost occurred when Frodo fell down the mountain.

Suddenly, Aragorn's hand left his sword and his face calmed. He shook his head once before starting to trudge up the mountain once more. It was only a moment before he caught up with Susan.

He smiled slightly as he fell into step with her. The two were silent for a while. The snow was getting deeper the higher they climbed and it took a greater deal of energy to focus on taking one step after another than before.

The poor hobbits were beginning to shiver as the wind kicked up, ruffling their thin cloaks. Aragorn followed Susan's line of sight and pursed his lips. "They will be alright." He reassured.

Susan gave him a look that said she was did not believe it. "They do not wear shoes, Aragorn, and we are walking through two foot high snow. Are you still going to tell me that they will be alright through all of this?" The queen cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. She took a deep breath. "I am sorry. I should not have lashed out like that."

Aragorn chuckled. "My queen, never apologize for speaking your mind. It is what will keep us all honest on this journey." He paused to look up at Frodo and Sam. "I fear that they will not make it but that does not keep me from hoping for the best." His eyes went to Susan. "I trust Gandalf, my lady, he would not lead us astray."

Susan simply nodded. Unlike her companion, she was not sure about the aging man yet. There was something about him that told her he still did not trust her and her brother; so why, in turn, should she trust him? You get what you earn, Susan thought, and both parties were still in need of earning trust.

The Fellowship continued on their journey up the mountainside for another two hours before encountering a snow storm that seemed to be most treacherous. Gandalf led the way, trying to make a path through the snow that was now up to Susan's waist, but it was still nearly impossible to put one foot in front of the other.

Peter kept a firm arm on his sister's waist, trying to help her pull her feet out of the snow that caved in around them with every step, as they walked behind Aragorn, Sam, Frodo, and Gimli and in front of Boromir who held Merry and Pippin in either arm.

Susan looked over to see that Legolas was still walking alongside the Fellowship on top of the snow. Every once in a while she could feel his eyes on her, whether it was to mock her troubles walking or if it was due to concern, she was unsure and if she was honest she did not really care to know. Right now, she just needed to concentrate on getting though this predicament.

She looked ahead to see that Frodo and Sam were crowded under Aragorn's cloak to try and shield themselves from the fury of snow descending upon them. The snow suddenly picked up and everything turned white; it was only possible to see a few feet in front of their faces.

"There is a foul voice in the air." Legolas said from somewhere in the white out.

"It is Saruman! He is trying to bring down the mountain!" Gandalf shouted from up ahead.

"Who is Saruman!" Susan shouted above the storm to her brother.

"How would I know! You know more about Middle Earth than I do!" He responded.

The next instant, a thunderbolt hit an overhanging section of the mountain right above them, causing the snow bank to explode and begin to topple down on the mountainside.

Several things happened at once after that. First, all of the members of the Fellowship tried to take what little cover they could under the mountain ledge, then Gandalf shouted something that was muffled under the thunderous noise of the avalanche above them, and finally, all went quiet on the mountainside.

Susan did not know how long she was under the frozen flakes of water but she knew she had to escape it. The air in her lungs seemed frozen there and a mere second later her whole body seemed that way.

As suddenly as it happened, Susan felt herself lifted up from the snow pile that was crushing here and into the open air. The queen gasped as she felt air fill her aching lungs.

"Sue, are you okay?" Peter asked as he too gasped for air.

Susan just nodded her response as she stood there and tried to bounce back from what had just happened.

The girl wiped her eyes, trying to get the snow and water out of them, before removing her hair that was sticking to her face. She opened her eyes to see that heads were popping up around the mountains; Susan sighed at the sight of all four of the small hobbits.

"Gandalf! We must get off the mountain!" Boromir called from behind the two teen royals. "This will be the death of the little ones!"

Susan saw the aging man debating whether or not to turn back. Why did he fear the other routes so? Anything seemed better than freezing to death on this mountain.

Finally, Gandalf looked up as if to show that his mind was made up.

"We shall let the Ring Bearer decide how to proceed." He said in almost a grave tone.

The company turned to look at Frodo who, under all of the stares, seemed slightly intimidated. Without much hesitation he announced his answer. "We shall do as Gimili proposed and go through Moria."

Susan and Peter both nodded their agreement. Their newest fate had been decided.

The journey down the mountain was just as unpleasant as the first but no one stated the fact. Once to the bottom of the mountain, it was another two hour hike to the entrance to this mine that Gimili praised as if it was his own home.

Gandalf felt along the edge of the ravine until he came to what he was looking for; he nodded with satisfaction.

"This is it." He announced to the group.

Peter stared at the rock wall in front of them in puzzlement. "This is what, exactly?"

Gandalf need not have answered because the next second the clouds in the sky parted and allowed the moon to shine through. The light rays from the moon reflected off of the rock and revealed an archway of sorts. It was beautifully designed; Susan had never seen anything like it.

Above the doorway was an inscription in some strange form of writing unknown to the to Narnia royals.

"What does it say, Gandalf?" Susan asked as she took a step closer to inspect the door. She placed a hand on the rock door and traced the design highlighted in blue that was carved into it.

"The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter." Gandalf interrupted. He smiled when he was finished reading. "This is quite simple. If you are a friend, you just need to say the password."

Gandalf put his staff up to the doors and spoke a simple word in a booming voice. The Fellowship waited anxiously for something to happen but after thirty seconds it seemed that nothing would. Gandalf cleared his throat and tried once more; yet again, nothing changed.

Peter huffed out a breath. "So much for being quite simple."

Susan glared at her brother before gabbing him discretely in the ribs. "Peter, leave him be and behave yourself. He needs to figure this password out if we want to move on."

Peter nodded slightly. "I know, Susan. I will not become a nuisance...I am older than you, you know, and _I _should be the one giving you this speech." He said mockingly.

Susan just shook her head and turned away to look out at the black lake that stretch out next to the mountain. Peter was always the one who got chastised because, unlike Susan, he acted like a child at times. The queen heard once that women usually matured faster than men did and she believed that theory, especially when it concerned her older brother.

"I do not like the idea of going into the mines." A new voice, Legolas's, said from next to her. She did not turn to look at him but kept her eyes on the water.

"And why is that, my lord?" She questioned.

"I have a feeling that only trouble lurks in those halls." He responded gravely.

It was then that Susan decided to look over at the blonde elf. She raised an eyebrow at him. "You have a feeling?"

Legolas nodded.

Susan nodded. "Then you should tell Gandalf."

"But it is just a feeling. I do not know for sure what it means." He told the queen.

Susan listened for a second at the sound of Merry and Pippin tossing stones into the lake, causing ripples to appear on the water's surface, before answering. "My baby sister, Lucy, is notorious for having feelings. Most of the time-not all, just most-those feelings are correct. If you have a feeling then you should trust it."

"What is the elvish word for friend!" Frodo's voice suddenly erupted from the quiet they had been experiencing for the past several moments.

Susan ripped her eyes away from the still trembling water and looked at the dumbfounded wizard.

"_Mellon..._" He stated in his booming voice.

As soon as the word was spoken the stone door began to creek and shift, revealing the dark cavern within. The rocks settled into their new spot with a loud groan before all fell silent around them.

"Finally!" Pippin rejoiced before leaping up from his spot by the lake. Within seconds, the Fellowship was ready to enter. All, including the hobbits, drew their weapons before setting foot into the darkness. Susan had an arrow notched into her bow and held it at the ready. She looked down at Merry and Pippin, both of whom stood beside her with a terrified expression on their faces, and gave them a reassuring smile. She moved into the space before the four hobbits did, showing that there was nothing to fear.

"My cousin will give us the most royal of welcomes!" Gimili shouted as the made there way into the echoing cave.

He continued to speak about the wonders that awaited them upon meeting up with his kin but they were nothing but meaningless whispers to Susan. As they walked further into the mountainside Susan became very tense—something was wrong in this place. The air was foul and seemed thick with malice, causing Susan to raise her bow and stretch the string.

Gandalf put a crystal-like object onto the top of his wooden staff; the crystal instantly broke into light and allowed them to see.

The cave filled with a blinding white light and soon enough all became too clear.

"This is not a mine." Peter said, shaking his head.

"It's a tomb!" Boromir finished. Gasps aroused from the Fellowship as they saw the scattered skeletons of dwarves that had been brutally killed and left to rot on the cavern floor.

The hobbits began to back out of the mountain with Susan inching slowly behind them. The bodies were gruesome and the stench was unbearable.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan." Boromir stated firmly. He too began to walk toward the entrance. "We should never have come here."

Suddenly, and without warning, Frodo screamed. Susan, on instinct, turned and grabbed at the hobbit. He was being dragged backwards by what looked like an octopus tentacle around his ankle. Susan jumped for his outstretched hand and gripped it with all of her might.

"I've got you, Frodo!" She yelled as she too began to be pulled toward the water. Unwillingly, Susan dropped her bow and held onto Frodo with two hands. The girl could vaguely hear yelling and scrambling behind her but she paid no mind to it: she had to concentrate on holding on and keeping the Ring Bearer safe.

A millisecond later, Susan left her body lift into the air as the tentacle began to swing the pair around.

"Hang on!" Susan called up to a terrified looking Frodo. She knew she was going to fall, Frodo could not keep a grasp on her when she outweighed him by at least fifty pounds. It was only a matter of time before-

The queen didn't even have time to fall. Another waving tentacle wrapped around her torso and began tugging at her with a powerful force. Susan felt her hand ripped from Frodo's and then she was alone to fend off the beast.

"Susan!" Peter cried from somewhere among the chaos.

The girl wrapped her hands around the slimy arm of the monster and tried to pry it off of her but it was no use; the thing continued to swing her around like she was a rag doll. She had to stop this before it let go and smashed her into the side of the mountain.

It was then that she remembered that she was still carrying her quiver of arrows. Without hesitation, she reached back, grabbed a red-feathered arrow and plunged it deep into the tentacle. The face of the beast then emerged from the water to cry in pain.

Susan gasped at the sight of the creature. It was, in fact, an octopus-like animal but much worse than any monster of the deep sea. It had one staring eye, that was now looking in Susan's direction, and three rows of razor sharp teeth that were ready to devour whatever stood in their way.

The queen saw her attempt to free herself had done nothing more than anger the beast. She assumed that she would be thrown into it's mouth and eaten as if she were a tea sandwich but that was not the case; she saw that Frodo was dangling near the creature's mouth and that she was now being slammed down in the the murky water.

The water was breathtakingly cold and it was hard for her to keep her wits; she had to focus; she had to get out of the beast's grasp. Susan tried to reach for another arrow but she couldn't get at them with the strange angle her body was now being stretched in.

Her lungs began to burn as she struggled some more. But it was no use; she was trapped and drowning.

Her brain was shutting down due to the lack of oxygen in her lungs. Her mind became fuzzing and she felt herself slipping into the depths of unconsciousness.

But then everything changed.

The tentacle suddenly slackened and then fell from around her all together. An arm wrapped firmly around her waist as a replacement and tugged her up out of the water. She gasped from breath greedily. Susan's lungs burned and stung with every breath she took.

"Legolas!" The voice of the man who held her called. The man-Susan could not tell who it was yet-decided that she was moving too slowly and picked her up and began to carry her through the roaring, angry waters.

Susan wiped the water from her eyes and saw that she was currently cradled in Boromir's arms. He was holding her with one hand and supporting all of her weight on his chest while he carried his sword in the other while keeping hold of her legs.

Susan pushed the hair out her face and looked around to see if she could see the hobbit. Had he been devoured? Was he still in the air? Where was the Ring?

She did not learn the answers for there were no time for questions-Boromir was too busy trying to get the two of them out of the water alive. The next second, they reached the shore of the lake and instantly Boromir broke into a run.

"Into the mine!" Gandalf called to Fellowship.

They all did as instructed and with all haste. No sooner had they all reached the cavern filled with rotting bodies that the monster's large tentacles collapsed the entrance into the mountainside and plunged the Fellowship into utter darkness.

There was no sound for a few seconds as small rocks and pebbles rolled down the large stone hill that had locked them inside of the mountain. Boromir was still holding Susan by the time Gandalf reattached is small crystal that produced light.

"Here," Peter said as he came over to the two and held his arms out. "I'll take her." Boromir slowly transferred a still shaking Susan to her brother and nodded. Peter put Susan on her feet but kept an arm around her waist; he extended his hand to Boromir. "Thank you for saving my little sister's life."

Boromir smiled and accepted the handshake. "You are welcome."

Susan nodded her head in the man's direction as her own form of thanks before quickly scanning the cramped Fellowship to see if she could find Frodo. A sigh of relief left her lungs as she spotted Sam hovering over the drenched Ring Bearer. Frodo caught her eye and smiled as much as he was capable of; Susan did the same.

They were all safe; trapped in the mine, but safe, at least. So far, they were alright.

"It seems we have no choice but to endure the long dark of Moria." Gandalf said, sounding annoyed with the whole ordeal.

Susan sighed as she began to control the shaking in her limbs; the shock of what had transpired was beginning to pass and she was now becoming her normal self.

"How long is the journey through Moria?" Peter asked as the Fellowship began walking.

"At least three days." Gandalf called back.

Susan sighed again. "Well that sound _fantastic._"

Peter rolled his eyes at her, leave it to Susan to go back to her negative self only minutes after going through a near death experience. This journey, he could already tell, would not be an easy one. Was there anyway that they could go back to freezing above the mountain instead of being trapped below it?

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please tell me what you think! **


	9. The Places You Have Come To Fear Most

**Disclaimer- I do not own LotR or Narnia. **

The darkness of Moria became thicker and danker as the Fellowship went deeper and deeper into the mines. A few hours had passed since they entered and Susan was still dripping wet. When packing, Susan had not thought to bring a spare change of clothing; it seemed impractical when she had to make sure she had enough room for weaponry and food in her pack. But now, she wished she had acted more like a woman and thought about the clothes, they would have been very useful at a time like this.

"We shall stop here." Gandalf said as he sat on a nearby rock to catch his breath.

"Why?" Sam asked.

Gandalf sighed and spun at the hobbit. "Because Samwise Gamgee I do not know which way to proceed!" The wizard shouted.

Before him lay two passage ways, one that forked to the left, another to the right.

"So, you have forgotten the way?" Merry inquired.

All the wizard did was glare at the hobbits and it was enough to force them to close their frightened little mouths. Susan frowned;there was no reason to snap at the hobbits because he did not remember which path was the correct one. Like Edmund, she thought, Gandalf had an unusually short fuse.

As was tradition, the Fellowship broke up into smaller, more intimate groups. These men from middle earth tended to stick with their own kind. Boromir and Aragorn were huddled together, talking in hushed voices, as always. Then the four hobbits sat eating what little food they had a couple of feet from Gandalf, who was smoking a pipe. Legolas and Gimili were arguing about something further away, which left Susan and Peter to their own devices.

The two sat facing a deep ravine, sharing a canteen of water.

"How are you doing, Sue? You must be freezing." Peter said as he handed the water to his sister.

She took a long drink before glaring over at him. "I am fine, Peter. Honestly, you men need to stop worrying about me." She said, annoyed with the fact that she had already had to be saved twice on this journey.

Susan tried her hardest to convince the rest of the Fellowship that she was able to take care of herself and yet, here she was, contradicting herself already.

"Susan, everyone needs help sometimes—even you." He told her.

She shook her head. "I don't need help. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Well, then, I suppose you will not be needing this back?"

Susan spun around to see Aragorn standing there with her beautiful bow in his hand.

The girl gasped.

She had forgotten all about the bow these last hours while she was walking through the mine in a blind rage. The queen shot up from her seat and took the bow from the man's hand and examining it. From what she could tell, it was fine,perfect even.

"I thought you might want it." Aragorn said with a small smile. "I grabbed it after the entrance collapsed."

"Thank you." Susan stated quietly as she continued to inspect the gift that Father Christmas had given her. A second later, she concluded that nothing was truly wrong with it and strapped it onto her back where it belonged. She looked back up at Aragorn and smiled. "Really, you have no idea what this means to me."

He simply nodded his head and turned to walk away. He went two steps before pausing and looking back at Susan. "I know, my queen, that you think it is a sign of weakness to be saved; but, every one needs saving whether it is from physical harm or emotional." His eyes drifted over to Frodo. "Just think about it this way, Susan...if you had not been saved it would have meant that neither would Frodo." He started to back away with a knowing look in his eye. "Think on that, my lady."

Susan pursed her full lips and shook her head because she knew that he was right. She would never admit it aloud, of course, but the logic behind his words was there. The girl walked back over to her brother and sat back down.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that Peter was smirked and trying very hard to hide it from her. "Oh, shut it." She said while jamming her shoulder into her brother's.

It was then that a chuckle escaped the king's lips and he did not hold it back. "I'm sorry, Sue, it's just that..." He broke into another fit of laughter before going on. "It's just that I love the fact that there is a person in this world that has the courage to question you and your stubborn ways of thinking!" He started laughing again.

Susan smiled and shook her head as she watched her brother. The smile he wore on his face was one that she had not seen in a long while; not since before they left Narnia. In the real world, Peter had been just as distant and angry as Susan had. But, unlike the Gentle Queen, Peter wore that anger like an armor, causing many a fight to break out because of it.

Since their arrival in Middle Earth that hard, mean exterior had shied away from the Magnificent King, leaving nothing more than the brother that Susan had admired so much when they were younger. They had been best friends at one time, before Naria, and now it seemed like the two of them were becoming that way again.

"We shall continue on." Gandalf announced.

"He's remembered!" Merry exclaimed.

"No." Gandalf told him. "The air is less foul down this path...when in doubt always follow your nose, Meriadoc." The wizard took a deep breath and stood up, leaning heavily on his walking stick.

The rest of the Fellowship followed his example but none did so very willingly. The journey was already taking a toll on them. They rarely got breaks, perhaps one every five hours or until Gandalf felt the need to stop and simply stare at their surrounds, but they would not complain. Well, all but the hobbits would complain.

"Miss Susan, when will we be able to have lunch?" Pippin whined as he walked next to the queen several hours later.

Susan chuckled and put a hand on the hobbit's shoulder tenderly. "I do not think we are to stop until nightfall." She told him sympathetically.

The hobbit's face fell. "But, I am hungry..."

"Do not worry, master hobbit!" Gimili shouted with his roaring voice. The dwarf put a hand around Pippin's shoulder. "When we arrive in Dwarrowdelf my cousin Balin will give us a most gracious welcome feast!"

Pippin's eyes lit up at the word feast; he smiled.

The rest of the Fellowship shared looks of great doubt. They had already encountered a number of dead dwarves at the entrance to the mines and had not seen another living soul. To Susan, it just seemed unrealistic to assume that Gimili's cousin was still alive; but she would never speak it out loud and break the dwarf's spirit. It was not her place.

Suddenly, the narrow passageway that had engulfed them for the past three hours opened up to reveal a spectacular hall of sorts. It was not beautiful in the obvious sense of the word for it was not filled with fine tapestries and intriguing paintings but because it was so interestingly crafted. The hall was endless in all directions, giving Susan the illusion that they would not under Middle Earth but in another world entirely. Columns sprang out of the floor every twenty feet or so, holding the ceiling up above them; they were perfectly spaced in a way that made one feel uneasy.

"Welcome, friends, to Dwarrowdelf." Gimili told them all with a smile.

Susan frowned. This did not look like the city that the dwarf had been speaking of constantly. She expected something grand—like Rivendell only under ground. But there was no sparkling white marble buildings or fine statues: only darkness and solitude.

Susan's eyes glanced around the group, only to land on Legolas. His blue eyes held the same doubt and concerns that hers did.

"Is it not a sight to be seen, my lady?" Gimli asked proudly.

The queen nodded. "I have never seen anything like it before in my life."

The dwarf smiled again, beaming at what he thought to be the most glorious of all places.

The Fellowship continued to stare in awe at the hall until the time when Gandalf pressed them to continue on; and, that was what they did. Through the never ending hall, it seemed to take even more hours than they have already wasted in these caves—it was as if no time was passing at all.

So, you could imagine Susan's surprise when she saw a light coming from up ahead. She squinted into the distance and identified the light was coming from somewhere high above them. Her breath caught in her chest as she wished that it was a exit from this forsaken graveyard.

But the closer and closer they came to the source of the light, the more Susan's heart sunk. It was no exit, just a small window cut from the earth to illuminate on a...what was it exactly? She could not tell.

Her question was answered quickly enough when Gimili cried out in anger and grief before running over to the room—a tomb lay inside of it.

The dwarf knelt down at the foot of the sarcophagus and let his head fall against the cold marble. He sobbed loudly as he shook his head in complete disbelief.

"Here lies Balin, Lord of Moria...he is dead then." Gandalf sighted sadly.

Susan took a step forward, about to comfort the dwarf, but thought better of it. She did not know the small man and thought that perhaps it would not be appropriate. The queen just watched him with a tear in her eye; she knew what it was like to lose a loved one.

From the corner of her eye, Susan saw Gandalf move around the tomb to a skeleton on the side. Gently, he lifted the hand and removed an aged and greatly damaged book. The graying man flipped through the dry pages until he came to the last written words. He sighed greatly as he began to read. "They have taken the hall and the west gate..."

Susan listened sadly to the words he spoke next. It was a record of the dwarves final stand in this mine. He spoke of drums in the deep, causing a chill to run through her. Her eyes wandered, wondering where these creatures could have made their attack on these poor men.

It was then that her eyes landed on Pippin. The hobbit had a mischievous look in his eye as he walked slowly over to one of the skeletons that was sitting on the side of a well; the deceased dwarf had and arrow sticking out of his abdomen.

The hobbit studied the arrow for a moment before slowly reaching out to touch it.

Susan's eyes widened as she started to run toward him. "Pippin! No!"

Her warning was too late. The young hobbit's small fingers grazed the feathered end of the arrow, causing the decayed body to shake and the head to fall backwards into the well. Susan made it over to the well and tried to reach down and catch the skull; but, it was too late.

Down and down, the head fell, making loud clinks and clangs as it went. Susan leaned against the well, took a deep calming breath and closed her eyes. She knew this was bad. If there were any of the...what had Legolas called them? Goblins? If any were left, then, they would surely heard the ruckus.

During this time, she heard the sound of of something else beginning to fall. Susan opened her eyes just in time to see that the body was following the skull's example.

The queen stood up straight, the type of rigid straightness that came to her when situations were very tense, and went over to stand behind Pippin. The poor hobbit was still watching as the body tumbled down further, with each painfully loud noise Pippin would wince. Susan sighed as she put her hands on Pippin's shoulders.

The sound of metal hitting brick continued out for what seemed like hours until finally the Fellowship was left in utter silence. Susan held her breath, as if the sound of her breathing would alert the enemy.

But, in time, it seemed that nothing was going to happen; they were safe for the time being. The Fellowship let out a collective sigh.

Susan patted Pippin's shoulder and smiled down at the still shaking hobbit.

"Fool of a Took." Gandalf said, coming up to the hobbit and taking back his staff. "Next time throw yourself in and save us all the trouble of dealing with you."

Susan narrowed her eyes at the aging man. "It was an accident." She said rather roughly.

"It is accidents like this that will get us all killed." Gandalf spat back at her.

Susan's eyebrows raised. She could not remember the last time that someone spoke to her like that. It was insulting but also...exciting in a sense. "And it is manners like that that will turn us all into barbarians."

Gandalf stared at her for another moment before deciding to speak again. His mouth opened but no words had time to come out for a noise interrupted them. But it was not just any noise but...

"Drums..." Susan whispered.

_BOOM._

"Are those..." She tried louder.

_BOOM._

"Drums?"

_BOOM._

_ "Frodo!" Another voice-Aragorn's, she identified-called to the hobbit. _

Susan spun around to look at the ring bearer and saw the he was holding onto a sword that was glowing an eerie blue color. This strange weapon threw the rest of the Fellowship into a frenzy. Boromir and Aragorn ran to the doors and hurried to close them. Susan gasped as an arrow flew right past Boromir's cheek and burrowed itself into the door behind him. Unlike her, the man of Gondor seemed more annoyed than anything.

"They have a cave troll." He told them while shaking his head.

_ A cave troll? She thought. Susan had never heard of such a thing but she did not linger on the thought. The men, now including Legolas and Peter, were set on the task of barricading the door. _

The queen went to stand in front of Gimili, who was then standing on top of his cousin's sarcophagus, growling.

"Let them come." He hissed. "Let them see that there is still one dwarf in Moria that still draws breath."

The men finished the barricade just as screeches and growls began to grow outside of the door; pounding followed and the decaying doors began to creak.

Legolas and Aragorn came to stand on either side of her; both took out their bows and notched an arrow in the strings. Peter and Boromir placed themselves at either side of Gimili with their swords out by their sides.

Susan took a quick look around to see where the hobbits were: to see that they were safe. She was relieved to know that they were placed behind the wizard, each equipped with a small sword.

Another pounding noise came from the door and Susan knew it was almost time for a battle. The queen ripped her bow from her back and fitted a red feathered arrow into it.

From the corner of her eye she could see a look pass above her head from Legolas to Aragorn. She closed one eye and put her bow to her lip—ready to fire.

"I saw that." She told them.

She saw a small smile grow on Aragorn's lips. It was funny, to her, that these men were still able to smile when danger was so near. As always, she was intrigued.

The doors vibrated again as another attack was placed upon them. A small crack appeared as the wood splintered due to the force. A black, horrid face appeared in the hole and instantly Susan shot an arrow.

The arrow hit it's target at the same time as Legolas's. She smiled to herself but did not take her eyes from their enemies; they were closer and closer to breaking in.

The three archers each shot two more opponent before it seemed that they ran out of time—the goblins were coming in. From the corner of her eye, she saw Aragorn switch his bow for a large sword.

So, it was time.

The next second, the doors gave way and the black creatures poured into the tomb. The men all ran forward to meet them head on while Susan stayed planted where she was to help from a distance. The queen shot arrow after arrow, each of which killed the creature it was intended for.

Gimili was tangled with one of the creatures, his rage clouding his reflects. Another goblin was coming at him from the side and instantly Susan took him out.

The room was filling more and more with their enemies until they were surrounded by them. Susan strapped her bow back onto her back before replacing it with the sword that Aragorn had given her. One of the creatures saw this, changed it's direction, and came toward her with an evil glare in it's black eyes.

Her enemy raised above his head, about ready to bring it down upon her, when she stuck him in the stomach. The goblin cried out in pain but fell down dead a second later. Susan shook her head at it; these things didn't seem to be the brightest of opponents.

Susan looked around her, waiting for the next attack, when she noticed a loft type area above them. It would be the perfect spot for her to be able to shot her bow from. Though she had skill with a blade, she always felt more confident with archery.

The queen cut her way through the mass of black creatures that stood between her and the staircase that led to loft. She finally made it to the stairs and began her climb. Susan took a deep breath when she reached the top as she studied the situation below her.

She was relieved to see that her brother was handling his own marvelously; he even looked like he was having fun. The hobbits, also, looked to be handling the attack alright. She saw that Sam had traded in his sword for a frying pan that he used to hit the creatures with.

Once she caught her breath, Susan pulled out her bow and began to fire into the crowd of enemies. One by one, she picked them off. The Fellowship had managed, by some miracle, to defeat most of the creatures in what seemed like only seconds. Susan thought that it was almost over, that was, until she heard a terrible roar come from outside of the door. Her head swung over to see that a large gray beast was stomping through the door.

_ She looked from the large thing down to her brother's awaiting eyes. Cave troll? She mouthed, causing Peter to nod. _

Suddenly, Susan felt a pain shot through her forehead. She fell to the ground with the force of it but recovered quickly. The queen looked up just in time to see a sword descending upon her. She rolled to the side, just in time to avoid the impact.

Susan looked up at the thing and saw that it was going to raise it's sword against her again. Thinking quickly, Susan kicked the monster in the back of the knee, bringing him down to the floor. The queen stood up in a flash and put her foot against the creature's neck to hold him steady, then she notched an arrow and let it loose right into the back of his head.

The black creature instantly stilled.

She sighed a breath of relief before looking back up at the chaos before her. All of the monsters they had been fighting were dead and nothing was left but the large cave troll now.

Susan saw a flash of blond hair in her peripherals and knew that Legolas had joined her up in the loft. Almost instantly, the elf was beside her, studying the creature as she was.

Susan looked over at the elf, silently asking what their plan of attack was. Legolas just glanced at her before raising his bow and shooting an arrow at the troll's neck. The creature screamed in pain before directing it's attention at the two archers.

The cave troll wore a chain around his neck that he now was using as a weapon. It swung the chain above it's head before letting it go loose in Legolas and Susan's direction.

Both of the archers ducked out of the way behind large pillars: Susan went right, Legolas went left.

The chain landed in the spot that they had previously occupied with a large metallic clang, leaving an indent in the stone floor.

_ Susan sighed and looked over at Legolas; she shook her head in annoyance. To her, that was not the smartest of plans. Legolas had not succeeded in anything but upsetting the beast more. Susan notched an arrow into her bow before taking another deep breath and coming out from behind her hiding spot. _

The queen aimed for her target and let loose the arrow. In a second's time, the arrow lodged itself into the troll's eye, blinding the creature. The pain of it all, distracted the beast, giving Legolas enough time to jump from the loft and onto the troll's shoulders.

He wobbled for only a second before gaining balance on the frantic creature. The next second, he loaded two arrows onto the bow and fired them right into the top of the troll's head.

The troll went quiet as the depths of his wounds sunk into him. Just as he was about to fall, Legolas jumped back onto the solid ground of the loft and watched as the beast collapsed onto the floor. It was not hard to see that he was dead.

All went quiet in the tomb and it was over.

Susan leaned back against the pillar she had hide behind and took a few rough breaths. She looked over at Legolas who was staring over the edge of the loft, his face full of worry.

"What is the matter?" Susan said between breaths.

Legolas looked over at her, his lips pursed. "We must get down there." He told her.

The elf grabbed Susan's hand, sending a shock through her body, before dragging her down the stairs. He stopped at the last step and both he and Susan began to stare.

Aragorn was leaning over a small body a few feet in front of them.

"Frodo." Susan breathed out as she dropped Legolas's hand and ran over to the rest of the Fellowship. Sam was now kneeling next to Frodo also. The hobbit was laying face down, completely still, with a spear sticking out of his abdomen.

Susan put a hand over her mouth, in a state of complete disbelief. This could not be happening, could it? Why would Aslan let her save him in the lake only to have him killed a few days later? It just not seemed possible.

Aragorn proceeded to pull the spear gently out of the hobbit. The man sadly sighed and shook his head as he turned the hobbit onto his stomach.

Susan gasped when she saw that his chest was..moving.

Within a second, the hobbit became to cough and take deep heaving breaths. His eyes fluttered open, showing he was almost as shocked as everyone else.

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked happily.

Frodo nodded. "I'm alright." He reassured. "I'm not hurt."

Susan felt a presence come up behind her and she knew that Legolas had joined them. She looked back at him and saw that his usually calm and graceful face was frozen in awe.

"That spear would have skewered a wild boar." Aragorn said, relieved and amazed at the same time.

"It looks like there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandald told the Fellowship with a knowing smile playing across his face.

Frodo stared at him for a moment before something registered in his brain. The hobbit looked down at his shirt in amazement before fighting to undo the first couple of buttons. Under his shirt lie a beautiful shirt that reminded Susan of the chain mail that her brothers wore into battle only these links were lighter in color.

Sam placed his hands over the chain mail shirt and smiled.

"Mithril." Gimili said with a growing smile.

Susan did not know what mithril was but she was sure that it was the thing that had saved Frodo's life; it was a miracle that it had the strength to do that.

The next second, Sam helped Frodo to stand and rebutton his shirt.

Susan looked around and counted heads—everyone was accounted for. They all had made it.

"Susan, you are bleeding." Peter said worriedly as he came up to her and started to examine her oozing forehead.

The queen swatted his hand away and squished her eyebrows together. "So are you, Peter." Her hand went up to point at his split lip.

Peter narrowed his eyes at her but smiled nonetheless. "I won't make a fuss if you won't." He said.

Susan smiled. "It is a deal, then."

Peter was about to say something else to his sister when a noise appeared that caused them all to freeze.

"There are more of them?" Peter asked, sounding irritated with a hint of fright in his voice.

Gandalf simply nodded. He looked around at the members of the Fellowship for a second—more screeches echoed through the empty hall. "Run!"

It didn't take them long to process the command. They all began running out of the room and in the opposite direction of the new wave of enemies. Susan fell behind the others, trying to make sure the hobbits would keep up.

"Come on, boys!" She encouraged urgently.

The sound of scratching came to her ears and Susan's eyes shot up to see that these creatures-that seemed slightly different from the first batch-were following them. Not by foot, but by climbing on the pillars and the ceiling above them.

In response, Susan grabbed Merry's hand with her free one and began running faster. "Quick, quick!"

But it was too late to outrun them, Susan knew that. There were too many of them that were too fast; in seconds the Fellowship would be surrounded by them.

She was right. The next thing Susan knew was that the creature's were climbing down from the ceiling and pillars to trap them on either side. The Fellowship clumped together in a tight circle, trying to protect each other's backs.

Susan tried to count how many there were but she couldn't—there was just too many.

"There has to be at least a thousand of them." Susan shouted above the screeches of their enemies.

"That is about one hundred for each of us, Sue! Which side do you want to take?" Peter responded as if to tell her not to be so dramatic.

Susan glared over at her brother for a millisecond before turning back to their opponents. Their circle became tighter as the creatures came closer. They were going to have to fight their way out of this; some of them probably would not make it out alive.

_Aslan, help me._ Susan silently prayed to the great lion. _Help us all. _

**It's kind of short, I know. But I hope you enjoyed it. I'm not the best at creating a battle scene but I hope it was alright. Let me know what you think please! Thank you for reading!**


	10. Shadows and Regrets

**Disclaimer- I do not own Lord of the Rings or Narnia. **

**Sorry for the long wait. I was getting my newest installment of the What You Don't Know series underway and that took alot of my concentration to plan all of that out. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Here we go...**

Susan took a look around her and saw that the group of goblin's had only grown in numbers. The queen shoved the hobbits further behind her before raising her bow to the ready position. She looked straight at the creature in front of her and narrowed her shocking blue eyes; the thing only growled at her in response.

Susan was just about to fire her first shot into the crowd when a sudden roar echoed down the rows of the empty hall. The queen did not know what it was but the goblins absolutely did.

The creatures began to cower and tremble in fright. They looked around, as if trying to decide which direction the booming noise had come from.

Another roar sounded and they did not hesitate for one second before running in the opposite direction to find safety.

The Fellowship stood still, trying to figure out what in the world was happening.

"Gandalf, what was that?" Peter asked the wizard who stood rigid next to him.

Susan tilted her head to the side to see the graying man from the corner of her eye. Even from her position several feet away, Susan could see the way Gandalf's face fell grim and his knuckles were white from the tense grip they held.

The angry howl boomed again, causing small stones to come loose from the stone ceiling above them.

The next instant Gandalf yelled. "RUN!"

The graying man pushed everyone in front of him, and repeated his command again. Susan fell behind the rest, again, trying to stay close to the small hobbits. Another roar sounded and she turned her head to see if she could spot the monster.

"Do not look back, my queen!" Gandalf, who was bringing up the rear, scolded.

Her head shot back around and concentrated on running once more. She wanted to know what this creature was that had Gandalf scared so terribly. By the look in his face, Susan could tell that they did not stand a good chance against it.

The Fellowship found themselves drawing away from the large, never ending hall and towards an entrance into a brighter room. Boromir was the first to enter, followed closely by everyone else. Susan saw as the man from Gondor skidded to a halt. She hadn't see what had made him stop so suddenly until she herself came to the dizzying ledge and looked down.

Susan felt like her head was swimming at the sight of it. There was absolutely no bottom to the black pit in front of her. The queen felt someone-Peter- tug on her hand and force her back into the situation that they were in. The next thing she knew, they were trudging down steep, crumbling stairs that led to yet another entrance to a different chamber of the mine.

The Fellowship descended the stone steps-carefully, yet quickly.

Another howl sounded, causing the entire room, including the stairs, to shake with the force of it. As if it did not seem impossible enough, Susan saw pieces of the ceiling begin to tremble and fall all around them.

The queen gasped as she saw a large chunk of rock fall before them and collapse a section the stairs...a section of stairs that they needed to use to escape.

All too soon, they came upon the obstacle. Without hesitation, Legolas jumped the gap and landed gracefully on the other side. He turned around and motioned for the next person to jump. "Gandalf!" He called to the man who was closest.

Surprisingly, the elderly wizard made the leap easily. Legolas caught the man on the other side and made sure he was steady before making himself ready for the next jump.

"Ladies first." Boromir told Susan, who stood next to him. He held his hand out as if to show her the way.

Suddenly, an arrow flew passed Susan's ear, causing a small breeze to brush across her face. The queen spun instinctively and shot an arrow in the direction she thought that it had come from.

The red feathered arrow lodged itself in a goblin's chest an instant later. Susan shook her head at her enemy; these creatures never knew when to quit. Several more of the goblins ran up to the landing where their friend had just been and began to fire at the Fellowship yet again. Susan notched another arrow and let it loose when she found her target.

"How about men without bows go first?" Susan called over her shoulder to Boromir.

She heard the man chuckle before calling to Merry and Pippin.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the man jump, carrying a hobbit in each of his arms. She shot another arrow at yet another goblin; the unknown creature howled again.

Next to jump was Peter, who did so as gracefully as the others, after him Susan saw Sam go flying. She assumed that Aragorn had tossed him across the ravine like he was no more than a rag doll.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf!" She heard Gimili growl before he too went to safety.

Susan shot one more arrow and hit her mark dead in the center of the goblin's forehead. She secured her bow back on her back before turning back to the Fellowship. The only ones that remained on the wrong side were Aragorn, Frodo, and herself.

"Susan! Go!" Aragorn shouted over the rumbling and roaring. Susan nodded her head firmly and readied herself to make the jump. The queen was just about to take off when a deafening creaking sounded above them. Only a second later, a chunk of the ceiling began to fall in exact alignment with where Susan was standing. The queen reacted fast, jumping back and out of the way of the falling rock.

Although, she did not have the time to escape it's fury completely The boulder caused the front steps to collapse under it's weight, taking the one that Susan stood on with it. The queen began to fall and she felt as if she were back at Aslan's How. How could she be so unlucky? Or perhaps it was clumsiness?

Suddenly, a hand reached down and caught her by her fingertips. She looked up to see Aragorn leaning forward and struggling to keep his grip on her.

"Susan!" She heard her brother call out from the other side.

But she didn't look at him.

Susan knew she had to concentrate on getting back up onto the staircase. The same creaking sound came to their ears again and Susan saw as another boulder fell behind them. The queen cringed as she heard the rock clash with the stairs. Soon enough, Susan felt the staircase swaying with the unequal weight displacement.

She looked away from Aragorn and over to the other side where the rest of the Fellowship waited nervously. The queen saw that Peter and Legolas were both leaning down reaching for her hand; but, it was too far.

The queen felt the stairs above her move even more and saw that the support column that was keeping the staircase up was beginning to crumble.

"Miss Susan!" She heard Frodo's small voice call to her. She looked up to see that he too was reaching his small hands down to help her. "Reach for my hand!"

Susan did as she was told. She reached as far as she could, straining until she felt her muscles ached in protest, until finally she got a grip on the hobbit's hand and allowed herself to be pulled up by both of them. Once Susan could reach the ledge, she grabbed the stone and pulled herself the rest of the way up to safety.

This time, she did not have time to complain about being rescued; besides, she was telling herself that this incident was only due to sheer bad luck, not because of her sudden knack at getting into trouble while in middle earth.

The queen and the two men backed up so they were standing in the middle of the crumbling ruin of a staircase. Susan put her arm around Frodo to hold him steady as the rocked back and forth, back and forth.

"Lean back!" Aragorn yelled of the sound of the collapse. Both woman and hobbit did as they were instructed, leaning back as far as they could without falling backwards.

They continued this way for only a few mere seconds before their section of stairs began to tilt forward in the direction that they needed. Susan braced Frodo against her side, trying hard to make sure that he was secure before the impact.

The steps kept floating and seconds later they had made impact with the secured section. Susan, Frodo, and Aragorn flew forward at the force of it. Boromir grabbed hold of Aragorn, Peter caught Frodo, and Susan landed in the arms of none other than Legolas.

The elf wrapped his arms tightly around her waist upon catching her to make sure that she would not stumble and fall while Susan found her hands braced tightly against his chest. Susan's eyes locked with Legolas's and it was almost impossible to look away. The two stayed like that for a long second-too long, in fact.

"You-you can let go of me now." The queen told him, breaking eye contact.

Almost instantly Legolas's arms dropped to the side and he turned around.

"Forgive me," He shot over his shoulder as he took off down the staircase with the others.

Susan nodded quickly before following, as well. The Fellowship-after what seemed like decades- made it down the treacherous stairs and into another cavern of the mine.

The creature following them roared again, forcing Susan to turn to see how close it was behind them. But what she saw was no monster at all:it was fire and it was shadow.

"What is it?" She yelled ahead to Gandalf who was right in front of her.

"It is a Balrog of Morgoth." Gandalf shot back. "Keep running! To the bridge!" The graying man pointed a distance up ahead to direct their attention to a thin stone bridge that crossed over yet another pitch black pit.

Aragorn and Boromir switched their course and minutes later had crossed the bridge. By then, the Balrog was constantly roaring and growling; it was right behind them.

When she arrived at the bridge, Susan paused, thinking that she had to do something to slow it down. Quickly, she spun back towards the beast and retrieved her bow and an arrow from her back. She notched it instantly and targeted for the monster's head. She bit her lip as she pulled the string back and let it loose.

Her attempt was fruitless.

The arrow simply sailed through it as if it had no consistency. The girl felt a hand on her elbow and turned to see Gandalf there. He shoved her over the bridge.

"Go!" He exclaimed. "Your weapons are no use here."

Susan backed over the bridge, keeping her bow pointed at the creature the entire way. It was only then that she noticed that it was not merely a cloud of fire and ash; there was a figure of monster within it. It had horns and carried a whip in one of it's clawed hands.

Gandalf inched his way in front of Susan as he also began to cross the bridge while facing the Balrog. Susan took her last step over to stand in awe with the rest of the Fellowship. Susan lowered her weapon, seeing as Gandalf said it was no use, but did not put it away just yet. She went to stand next to her brother and watch as Gandalf began to battle the beast.

The wizard slammed his staff down upon the stone, causing a strange booming noise and and small sparks to fly. He, then, replaced his staff with his sword as the monster began to lasso his flaming whip over his head and crash it down upon Gandalf. To Susan's surprise, the flames did not make contact with Gandalf. Instead, a sort of invisible barrier appeared and stopped it from coming any closer.

The Balrog seemed confused for a moment before replacing the whip with a sword that too was aflame. It tried again to attack Gandalf but it did not work any better than the first attempt.

"You shall not pass!" The graying man shouted as he brought his staff down against the bridge a second time.

Susan did not know what was happening. It was a battle, of course, but unlike any she had ever witnessed. The two were fighting but with something greater than weapons; they fought with magic.

Susan turned back to the action and saw that Gandalf's sword was now wrapped up in his opponent's. The man took a very calculated step back, as if struggling under the force of the Balrog's weapon, then he took another. The monster of the deep countered all of Gandalf's steps with ones of his own.

The beast took one final step when the bridge beneath him fell to pieces. Just as Susan had done earlier, the Balrog began to fall into the bottomless pit but only he had no chance of rescue. Soon enough, he was out of sight. Susan smiled to herself at Gandalf's defeat.

The graying man looked into the ravine and nodded his head with a mixture of triumph and annoyance written on his facial features. He had just turned around to join the rest of the group when a glowing tail of a whip came up and wrapped around his ankle.

"Gandalf!" Susan and Frodo yelled in unison as the man fell and was dragged back over the edge. In the same instant, shots began to come upon their group again from the goblins that had realized their mutual foe was gone.

Gandalf held onto the bridge's edge, trying to pull himself up, but could not find the strength to. The wizard stopped his struggling and slumped farther over the edge. He looked at them with fright playing in his eyes.

"Fly, you fools," was all he said before his grip on the stone bridge slackened and Gandalf the Grey disappeared over the side and into eternal and never ending darkness.

Susan stared at his falling body until it was out of sight. Her head clapped over her mouth. Never before had she seen such a sight as this. The man did not fall to his death: he glided. There was something so poetic and something certainly sad and painful about the ordeal. For a moment she could not move.

"Sue, we have to go." Peter said, grabbing his sister around the waist and pulling her away from the edge and over to the staircase that, unlike the others, led up instead of down. Susan vaguely heard Frodo's screams of protest as they rushed up and away from the ongoing attacks of the Goblins.

The queen was in a daze and it didn't even affect her to break into the sunlight after three days of utter darkness because they were all plunged into a darkness of a different kind. They were all absorbed in their grief.

Susan pushed some hair away from her face as she saw the hobbits collapsed on the ground weeping for the loss they just suffered. The rest of the men were all standing by themselves shaking their heads in disbelief...because this was unbelievable.

Peter squeezed his sister's waist, forcing her to look over at him. Susan saw that his eyes were red-rimmed when she turned to his direction.

"Are you alright, Sue?" He asked with a solemn voice.

Susan nodded and stepped out of his half embrace. "I-I just need a moment." She told him as she went over to the ledge, far away from the rest of them, and stared out at the rolling lands of Middle Earth.

This wasn't real, she told herself, it just could not be.

Gandalf-their leader, their motivator, their rock-was dead and gone. How were they to go on? How were they to survive what was to come without him? A lone tear rolled down Susan's cheek at the thought of how she had spoken to him in the tomb.

_Susan narrowed her eyes at the aging man. "It was an accident." She said rather roughly. _

_ "It is accidents like this that will get us all killed." Gandalf spat back at her. _

_ Susan's eyebrows raised. She could not remember the last time that someone spoke to her like that. It was insulting but also...exciting in a sense. "And it is manners like that that will turn us all into barbarians." _

_ Never had she talked to an elder like that; now, he was dead and she could never take it back. Another tear ran down her face. _

Little did Susan know at that time but Legolas was standing a few feet behind her. The elf knew how much this loss was affecting the queen and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her in this dark hour. He wanted to pull her into his arms like her had back in the mine and make sure she never knew any pain again.

But he could not and he would not.

The elfin prince took a rough breath and turned back around. Why did the girl affect him so? He was not sure but he would not get attached to her. As Gandalf had taught them, their lives could end at any moment; nothing was certain in this life.

"We must move on." Aragorn said, causing Susan to turn with a start.

"But, Aragorn-" She started.

He put a hand up to silence her. "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs. We have to seek shelter or else what Gandalf has started will only be in vain." He turned to Boromir and Legolas. "Get the hobbits up and moving."

The two men pursed their lips sadly but did as instructed.

_ Aragorn was picking up his pack while Susan just stared at him in disbelief. He was acting as if one of them had not been killed just moments earlier. The man caught on to Susan's withering stare and sighed lowly through his lips. He ran a hand through his dark hair before moving over to her. _

"My lady, I am not trying to be insensitive-"

_ "But you are, my lord." Susan spat back, partially in anger and grief. Susan started to walk past him but stopped and spun back to him. "I wonder if you lack pain for what has just happened or is it sympathy?" _

Aragorn turned to look back at her. "It is neither, Susan."

Susan's face softened at his words and she nodded. "It's logic." She whispered. The man nodded in response. "Forgive me for my words, I let my emotions get the best of me."

With those words, she left his side and went over to Merry, Sam and Pippin, all of which were still sitting on a boulder with tears weld in their eyes. Boromir and Legolas were hovering over them, trying to think of something to say to comfort them, but could not seem to find the words. Susan put a gentle hand on Boromir's shoulder and smiled slightly as she stepped in front of him and knelt in front of the hobbits; she gave each of them a sympathetic stroke of the cheek.

"How are we to go on, Miss Susan?" Sam asked as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Susan took a deep breath as she recalled a saying she once read in a book. "We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey." She paused. "Gandalf would not want us to sit and grieve while danger is in store for us here. Do you remember what he told us?"

"He told us to fly." Merry said.

Susan smiled again and nodded. "Then that is what we do, boys." The queen stood up and outstretched her hands to them. "Together."

Merry and Pippin each took one of Susan's hands and she wrapped them both close to her sides.

She looked around to see that everyone was up and ready to move out. From the corner of her eye she saw Frodo standing alone with his face looking as if it was etched of stone.

Aragorn nodded to all of them before pointing behind him. "That is where we are headed...now let's get moving."

Unenthusiastically, they all started running towards the massive forest that Aragorn had indicated. Under normal circumstances Susan would have marveled at how lovely the lush trees where and how fresh and clear the air smelled compared to that of London. But there were not normal circumstances and she could not have cared any less about it. She was still in shock as was most of her party.

Once inside the tree line they had stopped running and Susan had fallen into step at the end of the pack with Peter. Every once in a while, she caught Peter looking at her from the corner of his eye, making sure that his sister was, in fact, alright.

After half an hour of this, Susan snapped. "Peter, I said I was fine and I am fine."

"Susan, you are my sister and know that these things really affect you...you are not called The Gentle Queen for nothing. This must have made a great impact on you..." He trailed off, tried of trying to make an excuse. The truth was that he was just worried about his sister, who, as of late, has been in a very vulnerable position. After Caspian, it seemed as if Susan had taken on the task of baring the emotion weight of the world.

"Of course it makes me sad, Peter..." She trailed off as she thought of what was really troubling her about all of this. "It is a devastating loss for the Fellowship and I am truly sadden by Gandalf's passing but I cannot help but wonder what it would have been if it was someone close to me." She paused. "What if it was Professor Kirk? You know he would do something like that Peter...and then thinking of Professor Kirk led me to think about you and Edmund and Lucy. What if something happened to the three of you? Then where would I be?"

"Sue, you cannot think that way."

His sister nodded. "I know I should not but I do." Susan smiled up at her brother. "I will be alright, Peter."

The king nodded, still unconvinced, when the two lapsed into a long silence. They walked on for a while when suddenly, Susan noticed a change in the air. The girl pulled out her bow and notched an arrow.

"What is it?" Peter asked with his hand on his sword.

"I am not sure..." She said as she listened to her surroundings. It was too quiet, Susan deduced. Something was happening, something she was unsure of. The queen spun around to check and see if something was behind them. Her bow was poised and at the ready as she checked from left to right; but, there was nothing there. Susan sighed as she turned back around.

The girl gasped when she spotted a man-probably an elf by his looks-with an arrow in her face. Instantly, she raised her own bow and pointed it back t him. Her eyes darted around and noted there there were elves all around them. A pair of them were with each of the members of the Fellowship.

Susan knew they were outnumbered. She sighed because once again they were in an almost impossible situation and had no way out. The girl put her weapon away and her hands up; they were now captives.

**I hope you liked it! I'm still alittle ify on this chapter but what do I know? Please tell me what you think. Thanks for reading! **


	11. Truth Doesn't Make A Noise

**Disclaimer- I do not own LotR or Narnia. It's kinda a bummer that I am not that brilliant. **

**Okay, next chapter. I hope you are able to understand a few more things after reading this. Just remember that there is still supposed to be an air of mystery and that not everything is going to be explained...yet. Alright, moving on...**

The Fellowship was led through the forest and down a path; Susan was walking between two of her capturers. They had all been stripped of their weapons...well, most of them. The elves had taken Susan's bow and arrows along with her sword but they did not think to check her over as thoroughly as the men. Beneath her skirts Susan carried a small, sharp dagger.

She knew it would not do much against these elves but it could possibly distract them long enough for the rest of the Fellowship to gain control of the situation. The group was led to what seemed to be a holding post that Susan assumed to be on the outskirts of the elves settlement.

A man was waiting for them when they arrived.

He was beautiful and otherworldly, like all of the other elves that Susan had encountered while in Middle Earth, and by his dress she could tell her was a high ranking soldier.

The leader nodded to Aragorn as a greeting. A small, barely noticeable smile played across his mouth; Susan noted that it was the same expression she had seen Legolas wear numerous times.

The elf spoke in a language, elvish by the sound of it, to Aragorn. The dark haired man turned back to look at all of us for a second before directing his gaze back at our capturer. He spoke fiercely in the strange tongue while gesturing to the Fellowship.

Susan moved over to Legolas, the closest person to her, and leaned up to whisper to him. "What are they saying?" She asked.

He pursed his lips and kept his eyes directed on the arguing pair as if trying to concentrate on what they were talking of in hushed tones.

"Aragorn is trying to convince Haldir to aid us...to shelter us for a short time." He responded.

"And Haldir is the elf he is talking to?"

Her questioned warranted a nod from Legolas.

"Why wouldn't they help us? We are of no danger to them."

Legolas finally looked down at the fair queen. "We bring great danger with us, my lady." The elf paused. "They do not wish to grant entry to the Ring Bearer."

Susan felt a gaze upon her at that second; her eyes darted up to see that Haldir was staring at her.

The queen pursed her lips and stepped away from Legolas. She felt as if she were a student again being scolded for talking during class. Susan saw Haldir's gaze move from her to her brother and then back again. He turned back to Aragorn and spoke again, causing the man to nod in response.

Haldir's composure seemed to falter for the briefest of seconds before almost instantly turning back to his graceful self. The elf nodded to Aragorn before walking around him and coming to stand in front of Peter.

"High King Peter, it is an honor to finally meet you after all of these years." He said, bowing slightly and putting his right fist against his heart.

Peter's eyebrows furrowed up as he stared at the elf in confusion. The king bowed his head politely. "It is an honor for me, as well." He paused to give Susan a look, silently asking for her assistance.

Instantly, Susan was at her brother's side, standing tall and regal like she had done so many times before.

"Gentle Queen Susan, it is a pleasure." He said, repeating the same sign of welcome he had given to Peter.

Susan gave a small nod in response. "Pardon me, my lord, but you said that it was an honor to meet us after all of these years...I do not believe my brother and I understand your meaning of this."

The elf simply smiled. "I cannot explain that to you, I am afraid...but there is someone who can." He held his hand out to lead the way. "If you would all follow me, please. Lady Galadriel is waiting for you."

* * *

The Fellowship journeyed for another twenty minutes until they came upon a glorious city. To Susan, it seemed almost like a settlement of tree houses. Staircases, wrapped around the trunks of the large trees, led to platforms standing in the pale treetops.

The Fellowship began to trek up a particularly tall set of steps to one of the largest platforms. Susan looked over the edge and saw how wonderful everything seemed. The entire place held an eerie glow that seemed less sinister and more heavenly than she imaged.

"Who is this Lad Galadriel, anyway?" Peter leaned in to ask his sister.

Susan looked over at him and shook her head. The girl did not have any idea.

"She's a witch!" Gimili whispered quite loudly from behind them. Boromir rolled his eyes and nudged the dwarf to be quiet.

"She is the lady of these woods." Aragorn said from in front of them. "And it would not be considered courteous to call her such names, master dwarf."

Susan and Peter both exchanged a glance. At the mention of a witch the siblings had an image of the one they had met in Narnia a long time ago.

The White Witch was powerful and had the ability to keep even Aslan at bay for near one hundred years. She was also deceiving and evil in every form of the words. Edmund had once trusted the White Witch and it had brought nothing but misery and regrets; if this ruler was anything like that then Susan would leave this place immediately.

Their escorts took them the rest of the way up the staircase and led them to a receiving room. There they waited a moment for the arrival of their hosts.

_Welcome Gentle Queen. I have been waiting for you. _

Susan's eyes darted around looking for the source of the female voice but no woman was to be found.

"Did you hear that?" She leaned in to Peter to ask. Her brother raised an eyebrow.

"Hear what, Sue?" He questioned her back.

The queen pursed her lips and just shook her head, telling him to not mind her comment.

_Do not fight the ways of this world, my queen. For all that happens here is for a reason. You have a part to play in all of this. In the end, all will be understood. _

Susan did not have time to question the voice in her head again. The next second two ethereal figures descended the staircase before her. They were otherworldly, both graceful and beyond beautiful.

The man had long brown hair and dark eyes while the woman was his complete counterpart. She was far fairer than anyone Susan had ever seen with her white-blonde hair and pale blue eyes.

This woman, indeed, did have the looks of the White Witch; however, this fact did not scare Susan as much as she thought it would. The queen believed that it was due to the way she carried herself. This woman, the queen of the land, had a kind face and wise eyes. Susan could not explain why but she knew that she did not have to fear this woman.

"Eleven left from Rivendell yet I only see ten in front of me." The man elf spoke. "Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him."

The tears began to well up in Susan's eyes once more at the sound of their fallen leader's name. It was still too soon to talk of such things.

"He was taken from us." Legolas answered from behind her. "He was taken by fire and ash...A Balrog of Morgoth."

"He died to save us." Peter chimed in, voice grave.

Susan gave her brother a small smile and put a hand on his arm tenderly.

The man nodded his head once. "These tidings fill my heart with sadness..."

He went on but Susan did not pay attention to his words meant to console them. Nothing could comfort her at a time like this.

"Death is a part of life. We must all accept it for what it is: a new beginning."

The voice made Susan freeze right as she was. Her eyes shot up to where the two royals stood to look at the Lady Galadriel. The voice she had heard in her mind earlier belonged to her. Susan tilted her head at the queen and narrowed her eyes in confusion.

Galadriel felt the strong gaze upon her and turned her blue eyes to Susan. She continued to talk about grief and worry but Susan heard none of that.

_Do not fear me, Gentle Queen. There are far more terrible things than I in this world._

* * *

The royals had permitted the Fellowship to stay in their land for a few day's time. They sympathized with the ordeal that they had all been through which was the only reason they were allowed to camp in the elvish city.

Susan sat under one of the large trees that the Fellowship would be using as it's residence for the next three days.

She was contemplating what the Elvish queen had told her. What had she meant? Do not fight the ways of this world? She understood none of it and, to be quite honest with herself, she was too exhausted to try and figure the queen out. But one thing she knew for sure was that she would not leave this place until she had the chance to talk with her.

The next second, the sound of beautiful music began to float through the air towards her. Singing occurred a moment later. The melody was lovely-slow and sad. She didn't understand what they were singing about but she did know that it was not of happy things.

"A lament to Gandalf." Legolas announced to the group. He glided farther away from their dwelling to get a better listen of it.

"What are they saying?" Merry questioned.

The elf pursed his lips together. "I cannot say...for me the grief is still too near."

Susan nodded once to herself. She was glad that she could not understand it because she did not want to hear the words either. Like Legolas said, it was still too painful.

Peter came to sit next to his sister against the tree's trunk. He nudged her in the shoulder with his own and held out an apple.

The girl eyed the fruit. She shook her head at his offering.

Peter sighed. "Susan, you have to eat something." He waved the apple closer in her face. "They are really good, almost as good as the ones in Narnia."

His sister chuckled and grabbed at the fruit, trying to get it out of her face. She got hold of the apple and took a dainty bite out of it. The two sat quietly for a moment as she chewed but before long Susan opened her mouth to speak again.

"Pete, when we were with the Lady Galadriel and her husband...did you hear anything? Inside of your head?" It was a crazy question, to be sure, but Susan had no other choice but to ask it. Who was she trying to fool? She knew that she would not be able to rest until she received some answers.

Her brother raised an eyebrow at her as he thought back. He shook his head. "No, I did not..." He paused. "Is that the noise you were talking about while we were waiting for them?"

She nodded. "It was Lady Galadriel...she said-"

Her words were cut off by the sound of footsteps coming toward them. Susan looked up to see it was the elf that Legolas had referred to as Haldir.

He nodded to everyone respectfully but walked straight over to the Pevensies. Peter and Susan both stood up to greet them with small regal smiles across their faces.

Haldir bowed to the two. Peter returned the gesture while Susan gave a small curtsy. "Your Majesties, my Lady wishes to speak to you immediately."

The siblings looked at each other for a second before Peter decided to speak.

"May I inquire as to why this is?" He asked, somewhat suspicious.

Haldir let a ghost of a smile appear on his face. "I cannot say. Please, follow me."

The two were still hesitant.

"It is alright, my king and queen." Aragorn said, coming up to them. "We are amongst friends here."

Susan and Peter gave each other one last look before deciding to follow the elf to his lady. The Pevensies stayed two feet behind their escort while they walked back toward the receiving room where they had met the lord and lady of these lands before. But once they arrived, they went further up the stairs into what seemed to be a throne room of sorts. Lady Galadriel sat alone in the room with her husband nowhere to be found. Her face was smooth and mysterious, almost like she was trying to discover who these young royals were.

Haldir bowed to his lady before exiting the room through the entrance they had just used. Peter and Susan walked closer to the dais. Once they were a few feet in front of her, the brother and sister each greeted her with a bow and a curtsy.

"Welcome High King Peter and Queen Susan. I have been waiting for you for a very long time." The woman said, with a small smile spread across her face.

"It is an honor to be with you in your city, Lady Galandriel. We appreciate your hospitality." Susan told her.

The elf nodded before the three lapsed into a silence. Both uneasy, Susan bit her lip while Peter rubbed the back of his neck.

The elf's smile grew slightly. "You do not know why I have called for you." It was not a question but a statement.

Peter shook his head. "I apologize, but neither my sister or I understand, my lady."

Galadriel's eyes shot from Peter to Susan. "Are you quite sure, my queen, that you do not?"

Susan tilted her head at the elvish woman. Did she know her from somewhere? Susan's bright blue eyes connected to the pale blue ones that belonged to Lady Galadriel and instantly she knew who this woman was.

"You are her." She stated. "You are the one that prophesied us to come to Middle Earth."

Galadriel nodded slightly. "You are correct, young queen."

Peter wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "Did you bring us here, to these lands?"

"With a little help." She answered back.

Peter and Susan exchanged another look.

"Well, who-?" Peter started, only to get cut off by Susan.

"Aslan." Susan realized, she looked back up at the Lady of the Wood. "It was Aslan, was it not?"

"Yes." Galadriel told them.

"But, why us?" Peter asked. "Why did you call for us?"

Lady Galadriel stared at them for a moment as if trying to answer that question for herself before telling them. The elf pursed her lips.

"I do not know." She whispered to herself. Her piercing eyes looked away from them as she stood up and came closer to the pair. "My visions do not always explain their meaning." She looked back up at them. "But I do know that you are meant to be here, the Great Lion agrees."

"You've spoken to Aslan?" Peter asked hopefully.

Galadriel nodded. "A very long time ago...He spoke to me of the great bravery and power the two of you would possess. I have been following your journey since you embarked from Rivendell and I believe that he is correct. You are the ones to help destroy to Ring of Power."

"So, that is it?" Susan asked, still not completely understanding.

"What is it, my young queen?" Galadriel asked with her pale eyes sparkling with knowledge.

"Pardon my frankness, but it makes little sense for us to be here for that purpose." She paused. "Frodo is the Ring Bearer, he took on the responsibility of destroying it. I would understand our presence here if there were no one to protect him during this mission but he is surrounded by those who would die in order to keep him safe so he can go on. It seems that we are not needed."

Peter listened to his sister's words and nodded to himself. As always, Susan's mind worked in the logical way. For him, he was just excited to be back in the type of world he understood. He had always felt lost in England; but, in this world he felt as if he lived here all his life. It felt like home.

This was where he was supposed to be. He could feel it.

Peter looked up to see Lady Galadriel's eyes on him. He looked back down at his feet due to the intensity of her gaze.

_It can be your home, my king. It will be._

Peter's eyes shot back up. Susan was correct when she said that she heard a voice in her head. It was Lady Galadriel's voice.

"What do you mean?" He asked aloud.

His sister's eyes darted from Peter to Galadriel. What had passed between them? She realized that Galadriel had seen into her brother's mind.

The Lady turned back to Susan. "You were told of the prophecy when you first arrived, correct?"

The Gentle Queen nodded. "I heard everything that you have just said. I was told that Peter and I were the Great Defenders of Middle Earth and that we are here to help."

"That is all?" Galadriel asked.

Susan furrowed her brow and nodded. "Of course..." She paused. "Is there something more?"

Galadriel smiled again. "All in good time, my queen."

Susan was becoming more frustrated. She believed that she had been sent for so Lady Galadriel could explain to them exactly why they were here but she had only given the her brother and her more questions that seem like they would not be answered.

But, despite this knowledge, she had to ask one last question.

"When we first arrived her I heard you inside of my head...you said...you said that I needed to stop fighting the ways of this world. That all happens for a reason...what did you mean by that, exactly?"

Lady Galandriel stayed silent for a moment. "Queen Susan, have you noticed anything strange about yourself while you have been here? Anything you have had a difficult time accepting?"

Susan thought on what the woman had asked. But there was nothing she could think of that she was fighting. She shook her head. "I do not believe so."

"Try again." Lady Galadriel told her.

The next instant Susan was transported back into her mind and into all of the mishaps that had occurred since she arrived in Middle Earth. She saw everything from her head trauma on Weathertop to the sea beast that had nearly drowned her, and finally to the scene in which she had almost fallen into a never ending pit in Moria. She snapped back into her body and looked up at the elvish woman.

"The more you try to prove yourself, young queen, the more you shall falter. You must learn to take everything as it may come. The men in the Fellowship will except you when they are ready. You must remember that in this world it is not an everyday occurrence for a woman to make such a journey with men; in fact, it is unheard of." She explained.

Susan furrowed her brow. So, it was all a test. Every trial she had gone through was only meant to make her understand that she could not control everything; it was all in someone else's hands.

The girl nodded her head and gave a small smile. She did not know exactly what her part in this was yet but she did have a clearer understanding of the ways of this world.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have another who I must speak with this night." Lady Galadriel smiled before escorting the two royals out of her quarters.

* * *

Susan was laying on the ground a few feet away from her brother, staring up at the tree tops above her. The men were asleep but Susan could not find any rest. The eerie glow that lit the city was still strangely bright, giving the illusion that it was still day.

She rolled over on her side to see the rest of the Fellowship before her. The hobbits were all snuggled together, using each other's bodies as pillows. Both of the men were spread out with their swords in their hands, as if ready to fight off an attack at any moment while Gimili sprawled out in a large area and snored loudly along with Merry and Pippin.

But Legolas, Susan realized, was not there. Susan sat up, looking around for the elf but he was nowhere in sight. Curious, the queen sat up and began to journey out from under the tree they were sleeping under. It did not take her long until she found Legolas standing alone outside of their dwelling, staring out into the distance.

Susan paused, thinking that perhaps she should go back and that he wanted some privacy, but she did not have time to decide-he had felt her presence behind him.

"Can you not sleep, my queen?" He asked without turning back.

Susan took a deep breath before going over to stand next to him and stare into the city. "No. I-I have a lot on my mind, I suppose. What about you, my lord?"

He sighed. "I do not sleep often."

Susan looked over at him and his strange words. "Why not?"

He looked back at her and smiled slightly. "It is not necessary for the elves, my lady."

Susan chuckled. "There is so much to know about the elves, isn't there."

Legolas nodded. "I suppose there is."

The two lapsed into a silence as they were so accustomed to having. Susan did not know why, but she knew that something was different between the elf and herself. It was not an emotional difference but more of a...calmness.

Since her talk with Galadriel, Susan has been thinking over what she had said about her fighting against what Middle Earth had in store for her. She was fighting against getting close to anyone in fear that she would be sent away without a moment's notice but now she knew that she could not worry about it.

Everything has a purpose and that included her friendship with those in the Fellowship. Her awkwardness around Legolas was unnecessary, she knew. In fact, she even saw now that they had a lot in common. Both were serious and logical along with being kind and aware. Why couldn't they get along?

Susan smiled a little to herself.

"What are you thinking if you do not mind my asking, my queen?" Legolas asked from next to her. She looked over to find that his gaze was already upon her.

"My conversation with Lady Galadriel." She explained. "She called us to her to discuss the prophecy but she did not fully explain anything. In fact, she left me with more questions than I originally had."

Legolas nodded. "I understand...well, perhaps you would care to ask me, then? I have some knowledge of your prophecy and I might be able to help you to receive some answers."

Susan raised an eyebrow at the elf. He knew of the prophecy? Then why had he not confronted her earlier? She did not care enough to think on those trivial questions for she had more important ones to be answered.

"How is it that Lady Galadriel can see into my mind?"

"She has telepathic gifts of sorts. It is a rare talent but she has practiced it through these longs years." He looked back at Susan. "If she has spoken to you through your thoughts then it means she had something very important to tell you; something that she did not believe you would listen to if you did not hear it in your own head."

Susan nodded. That seemed to be a plausible explanation for Peter had told her something along the same lines over and over but it just never registered in her mind in the way that Lady Galadriel made it do. It was as if along with speaking the words you needed to hear she could also help you understand them.

Susan continued on with her next question.

"Well, while Peter and I were speaking with her...she...she sort of gave me the impression that there was more to the prophecy than meets the eye. Do you know anything about this?"

Legolas's face fell slightly. He looked away from her. "I do not, my queen. I am sorry."

Susan studied his profile with a raised eyebrow; his fair features were tense and very cautious. For some reason, she did not believe his answer. It was preposterous to think that Legolas would lie, after all, why would he? But still, she did not think he was telling the truth.

"You do know, don't you?" She asked quietly.

He still did not look at her. The elf's lips were pursed as he looked over the land stretched out in front of them. Susan was irritated by his inability to answer let alone look at her. The girl went to stand in front of him, forcing Legolas to look down at her.

"What do you know? Please, tell me." She asked.

Legolas's blue eyes made contact with hers and he took a deep breath. "You will find out soon enough, my lady." He told her cordially.

These words that the people of Middle Earth kept speaking such as "in time you will understand" and "you will know soon enough" gave Susan the chills. If something was coming for her and her brother then she must know about it.

Susan took a frustrated breath before looking up at him with pleading eyes. If no one would tell her what this was about then it must be something very important, very secret, very detrimental. She needed to know everything that she could.

"Legolas," She spoke his name out loud for the first time, breaking the rules of society that had been taught to her over the course of the years. "I need to know what is to come. I beg you."

The elf looked away from her and at anything else he could lay his gaze upon; he would not meet her eyes. Finally, he looked back after what felt like a century to the queen.

"Susan," He addressed her by her first name back in a whisper. "It is not my place. I cannot tell you." He told her almost angrily.

Susan took a step back and scoffed in annoyance. Her blue eyes narrowed as she looked upon the elf. "Please do not address me so informally, my lord." Her words were lifeless and held no warmth that they usually did. "Now if you shall excuse me I will take my leave of you and go rest." Susan curtsied quickly before walking past Legolas and back toward their dwelling.

It was true that she was furious. Whether it was at Lady Galadriel, herself, or Legolas she was not sure. But she knew that her and the elfish man's relationship had turned back into an awkward acquaintance after mere minutes of considering the pair of them to be friends.

She was a fool for letting her guard down around him and allowing herself to think that he would not let her down; but, he did. Against her will, she was taken back to Narnia where an image of Caspian ran through her head as she ran back toward the rest of the Fellowship.

Never, she thought, would she ever let her guard down again.

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I loved writing it! Please tell me what you think and thank you for reading!**


	12. Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye

**Disclaimer- I do not own LotR or Narnia. **

**I am so sorry for the long wait for this chaper, you guys! It was just a very hard write for me. I am not still completely in love with it but I hope you all enjoy it just the same. **

As promised, the Fellowship was packed and ready to go three days later. Susan waited in the receiving line towards the end; Lady Galadriel wished to say her goodbyes to them. As she stood there, Susan thought back to her time spent in the elvish city.

She had trained with the archers; it was a noble task to be sure. Susan was mesmerized by the grace and agility that the elvish people possessed. In comparison, Susan's skills were weak but that knowledge would only drive her to practice harder, to become better. The girl always did have a bit of a competitive side.

As the Lady of the Wood drew near, Susan thought back to their first night in the city and the conversation she had with Galadriel that could have very well changed everything she was expecting out of Middle Earth.

Something was changing.

Susan did not know what nor why but she could feel it in the air and in her very bones. Her life as she knew it was drawing to a close and a new era was to begin.

Susan looked up suddenly to see that Lady Galadriel was standing in front of her with a small, knowing smile across her lips.

_Do not fear what is to come, young queen. _

Susan pursed her lips. "How could I fear what I do not know?" She asked.

Lady Galadriel continued to smile. "The unknown is always frightening." She paused. "To be frightened is to be human, Susan."

Susan also smiled slightly as she stared into the pale blue eyes of the lady in front of her. It was then that an acute sense of clarity came to her mind. She had no clue if Lady Galadriel put the thought in her mind or if it grew there on it's own but one thing was certain.

"I am afraid." The Gentle Queen admitted.

_Not just for myself,_ she sent, _but for Peter and the rest of the Fellowship._

Lady Galadriel nodded. "Then I suppose this should be returned to you."

The elvish woman held an object in her hand that Susan had never thought she would see again. The lady placed a curved, delicately detailed, white object into Susan's hand.

"My horn," Susan breathed out in shock as she studied her old friend. She ran her fingers over the carvings and engravings and smiled. "But how did you get this?"

"A friend told me to pass it along to you." The elf explained. "Aslan said the man you had given it to told him it was time this was returned to you."

Susan looked up unexpectedly from the horn to the Lady; her heart sank. "Was a reason given for him wanting it returned to me?"

The Lady of the Wood shook her head sadly. "Let this horn help in keeping you safe, my queen."

Susan bowed her head, thankful, before stepping back in line next to the hobbits who were busy studying their own gifts. The queen strapped the horn across her body where it belonged. Lady Galadriel then moved on to Peter next to her.

"And for you, High King, an old friend will be returned, as well."

Lady Galadriel turned to the man standing behind her, carrying an object covered by a silk cloth, to reach for the gift. The elfish man removed the cloth to reveal Peter's small silver shield that he received from Father Christmas.

Peter smiled as he traced the red lion crest on the shiny metal. "Thank you, my lady."

She smiled. "May these gifts from your world help to keep you safe in ours, your majesties."

With those words, she backed away from the Fellowship to allow them to take their leave. Susan stepped into the boat with Legolas, Merry, Pippin, and Gimili, while Peter went with Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo, and Sam,

Before she knew it, they were taking off down the river to their next destination. Before the elven city was out of view she looked back to wave one last goodbye to Lady Galadriel; her only connection to the world of Narnia was slowly drifting into the distance. The queen sighed before turning back toward the front.

"Who was that man, my lady?" She heard Legolas ask from behind her. "The only Lady Galadriel mentioned?"

Since the night they arrived in Lothlorien-and the night that Susan snapped at Legolas- the pair had settled into a comfortable relationship of acquaintance. No longer did Susan consider the pair to be friends for they were not. What Legolas and the queen shared was something different; Susan did not know exactly what it was yet but she would now classify it as a bond between two people with the same set of particular skills.

Susan took a deep breath as she took the horn into her hand once more.

_"You will be needing this back." Prince Caspian said in his thick Spanish accent as he held out the horn to Susan. She took a look at the object before smiling down at the royal from her perch on his trusted steed. _

_ "Keep it," she told him with a smile. "You might need to call me again." _

_ Caspian chuckled before replacing it over his shoulder. "I shall guard it with my life, my queen." _

Susan looked back over at Legolas with a small, sad smile across her wise face. "He was someone I knew a very long time ago..." She stated simply.

Legolas wished to know more but did not pursue more answers. He wanted to understand what this unknown man meant to her and why she looked pained upon speaking of him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the small hobbit sitting beside the queen.

"What is the story of this horn, Miss Susan?" Pippin asked as he took the horn into his own hands.

Susan smiled, letting the memory filling her. "Have you ever heard of a man named Father Christmas?" She questioned only to receive a shake of the head from the hobbit.

"He is very well known in my world as a...well, he is famous for giving presents to children." She explained, knowing full well that it would sound like a ridiculous concept to the men hailing from Middle Earth, but continued on nonetheless. "When my siblings-well, two of them-and I came to Narnia we had nothing to defend ourselves with. Then, on our way to meet Aslan at the Stone Table we encountered Father Christmas. He gifted a sword and shield to Peter, a small dagger and magic elixir to my little sister, and my bow and arrows and this horn to me.

"He told me that if I were to only blow this horn than help would come." She finished with a ghost of a smile appearing on her face. Thinking back onto those days made Susan feel sad, vulnerable.

While back on Earth it was almost impossible for her to believe that those events truly occurred in her life. It was as if she were still that girl, who was angry about going to the country to escape the war, and thought that her sister's imagination was childish and unnecessary.

How the times have changed; but, then again, they had not changed at all.

Susan knew she was still very analytical and untrusting of most situations that did not register to her as plausible. She had tried to pass this whole ordeal with Caspian off as a distant dream: until today, that is.

How was it that even when she was in a completely different universe that he could still find her? Torment her? He did not mean to do it on purpose, she was sure, but, it hurt all the same. Caspian was not a dream, in fact, we was quite the opposite.

"Does it work?" Pippin asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

She smiled down at the hobbit. "Of course."

Pippin smiled back before going back to staring out at the water.

The group traveled on next to the other boat in a quiet, calm manner.

From across the river aways, Peter studied his sister as she sat lost in her thoughts. He pursed his lips, knowing exactly what she was thinking about- Caspian.

Peter always wished that there was something he could say that would help with her pain but he couldn't for he had never experienced love in that way. It was true that he loved his parents and siblings, probably even Professor Kirk, but to actually _be _in love with someone was not something he experienced.

"Your sister," Peter heard Boromir call to him from the back of the boat. "She is beautiful."

Peter glared at him as he was taken back to the time of Prince Rabadash and the war he fought to try and gain Susan's hand.

It was for that particular reason that Peter was more protective of Susan that the others.

Susan always had a certain knack for falling for the wrong type of men and with Prince Rabadash she had fallen for the worse of sorts only to realize her mistake too late. By the time she and Edmund escaped Calormen to return to Narnia the Prince was already on his way through the desert for her.

As her titled indicated, Susan was a gentle queen and, though, Prince Rabadash was coming for her, she would not raise a hand against him; she did not wish a war to be waged on her account. Susan was stubborn and would not give up what she believes in for anything.

Peter had to protect her from what she did not even know was a threat to her: like Caspian, the elf, and possibly Boromir.

"Thank you." He responded curtly.

"There is something about her air, however, that suggests that those pretty blue eyes have seen more than they were meant to and that she has experienced more that she should have. She is vulnerable here. Am I correct, King Peter?"

Peter gridded his teeth together but did not respond.

"Boromir," Aragorn warned.

"What is the matter?" Boromir questioned sarcastically. "We are among friends!" He paused. "Isn't that correct, Master Hobbit?"

Peter turned to see the man of Gondor's burning gaze in Frodo's direction. The hobbit fidgeted while Boromir's eyes bore down on him.

"Leave him alone." Peter demanded; he shook his head. "What is the matter with you?"

Boromir stared at Peter for a second, as if trying to figure the king out, before blinking rapidly. "Forgive me. I-I" He did not finish but simply placed his head in his hands.

Peter took a deep breath and turned away from his companion. Since his time in Middle Earth, he had never seen Boromir act in such a way. His words toward Susan were vile and almost cruel; since the journey's beginning he had treated her with kindness and respect, never like this. Also, the way he snapped at Frodo as if he were questioning his allegiances was preposterous. It was as if a switch were hit inside of Boromir's head and he had gone momentarily mad.

"We will stop here." Aragorn announced as he paddled over to the shoreline with the other boat following close behind them.

Peter jumped out, pulling the boat in until it ran aground. He pulled Sam out of the boat and placed him on dry land before doing the same with Frodo. Without a word to anyone, he went over to the other boat and repeated the task with Merry and Pippin.

Susan noticed that something was wrong with Peter. As he helped the hobbits ashore, she studied him only to find his jaw clenched and his eyes furious: a sure sign that he was unhappy.

Susan jumped out of the boat, not caring that three inches of her skirt were now drenched, and walked over to her brother.

"What happened?" She asked.

Peter just walked away as he went to gather their things out of his boat. Susan thought about storming after him, demanding to know what was bothering him, but knew better. He would not tell her anything until he was ready.

Instead she went over to Aragorn and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Can I help you with something, my queen?"

"You can tell me what has upset my brother." She explained.

"What has your brother upset right now, Susan, is that you cannot wait thirty seconds for me to answer that for myself." Peter said as he came up to the two of them.

Susan tilted her head to her brother, showing she did not appreciate his attitude.

"I believe I am not needed here for this conversation." Aragorn said with a small smile on his face before walking over to speak to Legolas.

"Peter, what-?" She was cut off by her brother, tugging her by the arm further away from the group.

He looked around quickly before directing his gaze back to her with his serious blue eyes shining. "It's Boromir." He told her. "Something-There is something wrong with him, Susan. I'm afraid that..." He trailed off.

"You are afraid of what?" His sister questioned timidly.

Peter sighed as he looked at his closest friend in this world. "I'm afraid he has fallen under the Ring's spell." He whispered.

Susan wrinkled her forehead as she looked over at the man, standing with Pippin and Merry, laughing with them. "Are you positive? He seems like himself."

"I am telling you, Susan, that he is not. You were not in the boat earlier...he said somethings...he sounded sinister. Something is wrong."

"Shall we keep an eye on him?" Susan asked as her eyes wandered back over to the man.

"No!" Peter almost shouted, causing Susan to look back over at him. "I don't want you alone with him, Susan, do you understand me? If he wanders off, I will follow him."

Susan pursed her lips and crossed her arms across her chest. "I am not a child, Peter."

"No, worse, you are my little sister. I do not trust Boromir, right now, especially not around you. Do not be alone with him, do you understand?"

Susan pursed her lips together even more until they were only a thin line as she thought over what her brother was telling-no, demanding-her to do.

He sighed. "So help me, Sue, if you don't listen to me-"

"Fine," She finally sighed, defeated. "I'll do what you ask but I do not like what you are implying."

"And what would that be?" Peter asked with a victorious grin on his face. "That you are not able to defend yourself?"

"No," Susan said with a smile of her own. "That you are allowed to boss me around."

The next morning, Susan woke early; it was just after dawn. She looked around her to see that all of the men were still asleep.

Good, she would get some peace and quiet for a while before the hobbits began their daily bickering matches.

Susan stood up, stretched, and looked around at the scenery.

They were on a beach on the outskirts of a very large, very dense forest.

When she studied their surroundings some more she realized just how vulnerable they were in this spot. They could watch the water, sure enough, but thick vegetation surrounded them. It would be easy to be sneaked up on in their position.

Susan sighed as scoped the general area, looking for sounds or movement that might alert her to an enemy lingering nearby. As far as she could tell all was clear.

"Have you found anything interesting?"

Susan spun around to see Boromir standing there with a smile playing across his face. The high queen could not see anything sinister about him; nothing was abnormal.

She saw the way Boromir's face fell slightly as she began to stare for too long and quickly stopped. The next second she smiled back at him.

"No, I was just scanning the area. I am not particularly fond of this location. It will not be easy to defend in the event of an attack."

"Do not fear, my queen, we will be moving to the other side of the river today and making our journey eastward." He replied without a hint of worry.

Susan simply nodded before looking back out at the rippling water.

"I am going to get some fire wood." A small voice from behind called, causing Susan to jump once more.

"My queen, you are such a nervous creature." Boromir chuckled, causing Susan to purse her lips.

_Yes, _She thought to herself. _I am only nervous because I have reason to believe that you have gone 'round the bend._

She turned to see Frodo standing behind them. The poor hobbit looked as if he had not gotten any rest at all the previous night. The bags under his eyes were puffy, almost as if he had received a black eye, and his face was warped in an awkward frown; he looked simply pitiful.

"I shall come with you." Boromir said, stepping toward the hobbit.

Susan opened her mouth, about to protest, but quickly shut it again.

The girl looked over at her brother's sleeping form and took a deep breath. There was no way she was going to let the possibly insane man go alone with the Ring Bearer; it would be irresponsible of her to do so.

So, she would break her promise. Technically, she was not even doing that considering he asked her to not be _alone _with him and she would not be: Frodo would be with them.

"I will, as well." She answered as she followed the two away from camp and down the hill into a thick patch of trees.

The three worked in silence for a while, that is, until Susan heard Boromir's voice ring out through the clear morning air.

"That is a mighty burden you bear, Frodo." He said as he gathered a few more pieces of wood.

Susan looked over at Frodo. The hobbit was standing with some timber in his hands and his gaze stuck on the man from Gondor. The queen stared from the corner of her eye but pretended to not have noticed. She picked up another stick.

When Frodo did not answer Boromir continued.

"You do not need to take it any farther, little one. Just give Gondor the Ring of Power and you can go back to your life."

It was then that Susan sensed that something was terriblywrong. He was trying to seduce the ring from Frodo, tempting him to give it away. Susan dropped her armload of wood and went to stand next to Frodo.

"Boromir, what are you doing?" She asked calmly.

He stood still, staring at the ring, before yet another of part of him snapped.

His face twisted in rage. "What am I doing? What are you doing!" He shouted, throwing down the pieces of firewood he had collected. "You-You-You both are fools!"

He took a step closer, causing Susan to shift her position, placing Frodo behind her, and pulling out her bow and notching an arrow at the same time. "Stay right there." She instructed.

Boromir chuckled, devilishly, as if a switch in his mind had gone off and he was now an evil mastermind. Susan knew he had fallen under the power of the ring completely; Boromir was no longer himself.

He shook his head and took another step closer. "You will all perish. You are bringing his greatest weapon right to him! Sauron will get the ring back and then you will all die."

He started shaking with anger as he outstretched his hand and walked even closer.

Susan was torn. Should she shoot at him, a member of her own Fellowship, or should she see what he would do next? The queen felt threatened and wanted so badly to let go of the string that kept her arrow in place; but, she could not. He was a companion.

"Frodo," She said over her shoulder instead. "Run back up the hill and get Aragorn."

She did not have time to get a response from him for the next second Boromir lunged at them. Susan, with her quick reflects, managed to jump out of the way; however, Frodo was not as lucky as she.

Boromir tackled the hobbit to the ground and started to struggle with him for the possession of the ring. "Give it to me!" He yelled.

Susan dropped her bow and ran to the two men. She began to pull on Boromir, trying to make him release the hobbit, but he would not budge. The queen began to hit him, hard, on the back but this only seemed to fuel his rage even more.

The next instant Boromir twisted back and slapped her across the mouth. Susan fell back to the ground, stunned at what just happened. The taste of blood filled her mouth and she spit it out quickly. She returned to her feet but did not need to attack anymore.

In the middle of their struggle, Frodo had disappeared into thin air. Boromir looked around, confused. He frowned and breathed heavily.

"You will die. Sauron will take the ring from you!"

The next second, Boromir fell to the ground as if he was just struck. He tried to stand again but was tripped by an invisible object-Frodo.

Susan could hear the sound of feet moving over crinkling leaves and knew that Frodo was making his escape. The girl scrambled over to her bow and re-notched the arrow; she pointed it at Boromir.

The man of Gondor sat on his knees as his eyes darting around frantically.

"What have I done?" He asked himself more than Susan. "What have I done?"

He looked up at Susan while she glared down at him.

"I am so sorry," was all he said.

Susan sighed before lowering her bow.

Boromir had come to his senses but it was too late because Frodo had run off. The man in front of her had failed at his mission and now she would have to fix his mistakes.

With that thought in mind, Susan ran past Boromir and in the direction in which she thought the steps had taken. She ran up a nearby hill and came across what looked to be the ruins of an ancient building. The scene reminded her of Cair Paravel during her and her siblings last visit to Narnia. The sight was so beautiful yet so haunting at the same time.

She looked around for the hobbit but he was nowhere to be found.

"Frodo?" She called. "Come out, it is alright. I will not hurt you nor let anyone else do so."

She received no indication of his presence for a moment. She was about to continue on when Frodo suddenly fell from the nothingness above her; it was as if he reappeared out of the thin air that had taken him.

She ran to the hobbit. "Frodo, are you alright?" The queen placed a tender hand on his shoulder only to have the hobbit shrink away from it. He scrabbled to his feet and away from her.

"Stay away from me!" He screamed as he backed himself into the wall.

Susan stayed where she was with her mouth hanging open. "Frodo, it is me. Susan."

He clutched the ring in his fist and his fist to his chest. He still did not believe her.

Susan took a step closer to him. "I was sent to this world to protect you, Frodo. I swore to protect you. Nothing has changed on that account."

The Ring Bearer seemed to calm slightly at her words. His fist loosened and he gazed at the tiny trinket he carried there. "Then you would not take this for yourself?" He asked as he held it out to her.

Susan's eyes made contact with the gold band and stayed there. A faint whisper in a distant language could be detected but just barely; nothing was louder than the malice and evil that radiated from ring. Unlike the men, Susan felt no pull nor any desire to own such an object.

She smiled down at Frodo tenderly. "No, I would not."

He tilted his head to her as if he could not believe it. "Then I give it to you. The ring is yours, I do not want it anymore."

He took another step closer to her and tried to get her to accept the weapon. Susan took steps back to match his. As much as she would have liked to help him ease the burden, she knew she could not.

"Frodo, it is your task and your destiny to destroy the ring. I cannot do it for you." She said as she closed his fist once more.

Frodo looked up at her in amazement and almost sadness. He truly did not wish to be the Read Bearer anymore; he had almost found a way out.

Something passed between them as they stood in silence gazing into each other's eyes. It was almost a realization of sorts: the Fellowship could venture no further with the Ring Bearer. What happened to Boromir could happen to the rest of them and that would only put his mission in jeopardy.

Susan knelt down to his level as a tear welled in her eye. "I suppose this is goodbye, isn't it?"

Frodo nodded somberly.

Susan did the same. "Good luck, Frodo Baggins." Before he could stop it, she took him in her arms and wrapped him in a tight hug. This parting was troubling to Susan. She felt as if she were deserting her quest in Middle Earth but in the depths of her mind she knew this was not the end-not for her and not for Frodo.

"Will I ever see you again?" He asked as she released him.

Susan smiled. "I sure hope so."

The Queen began to stand up when she noticed something strange about Frodo's small sword. It was glowing from within it's sheath. It meant something, she knew, but she could not remember what.

"Your sword..." She trailed off with a raised eyebrow.

Frodo looked confused and terrified before pulling the sword out to reveal that the metal was, indeed, radiating a blue glow. "Orcs." He breathed out.

Susan's eyes widened. Oh, yes. That was what it meant. Orcs were close, Orcs were coming this way, Orcs were coming for them.

"Run, Frodo." She demanded as she raised her bow up and began circling the perimeter. She looked back to see that he had not moved an inch. "Go!"

Frodo finally registered what he was supposed to do and began to run back down the hill. He his gaze shot back to her once before disappearing in the trees.

Susan took a deep breath as she climbed the stairs to the second story of the ruins. Below her, coming in the opposite direction that Frodo had fled to, a large group of Orcs were ascending the hill. There had to be at least twenty of them, if not more, storming her way.

As they approached Susan noticed that something was different about these Orcs. They seemed more evolved and human like than the bunch she had met in Moria. It was almost like they had grown into a new, stronger race.

She aimed her bow, ignoring the thought, and chose her target. The next second she released the arrow and it found it's home in the Orc's heart. The rest of them howled in rage for their fallen comrade as the ran faster up the hill followed by another wave of their companions.

It was then that Susan knew she was outnumbered. She could not fight all of them by herself; it would be folly and deadly.

The queen looked at the small, ivory horn that sat on her hip and without a second thought brought it up to her lips and began to blow.

**I know it's not that great but please tell me what you think, nonetheless! Thank you for reading!b**


	13. Let The Reins Go Loose

**Disclaimer- You know the drill, I do not own Lord of the Rings or Narnia.**

**Well, what can I say? I know it has been a long time and I'm sorry. There were college applications to be filled out and homework to be done. It happens. I hope this chapter was worth the wait though!**

Peter was walking along the edge of the forest, trying to find any sign of life from within but the silhouettes of Susan, Boromir, and Frodo were nowhere to be seen. The king ran a hand through his blond hair before taking a deep, frustrated breath.

He turned back to Aragorn who stood with the three remaining hobbits as Legolas and Gimili search the outskirts of the trees, as well.

"Where could they have gone that they could not hear us call?" He asked roughly.

"I am sure that all is well, my king. They probably just went out for more fire wood-"

"My sister and the ring bearer are out there with someone I believe to be psychotic. All is not well, Aragorn."

Aragorn's face settled into a familiar frown. "Alright, I will go in search for them. Stay here and make sure Sam does not do anything careless."

Peter did not like the idea of staying behind, it made him feel useless. "I will go with you." He shouted to Aragorn as he chased after him. The king finally caught up and the two walked into the forest together. Soon enough, they came upon a fork in the trail: one led north and up a hill, the other went down steeper toward a river.

"Well, do you prefer the high or low road?" Peter asked with a smirk.

Aragorn shook his head at the king but did not have time to make his decision. The next instant the blaring sound of a horn blowing filled the air. The two looked around, hoping to spot the source of the noise.

"The Horn of Gondor?" Aragorn asked with a raised eyebrow.

Peter shook his head; a frightened look appeared on his face. He knew that particular sound very well. "No, that is Susan's horn and it is coming from up there." He said, pointing to the high trail.

The two men instantly began running up the hill. It took them only a moment to reach Susan. The queen stood upon an ancient ruin, facing away from them with her bow in her hand, ready to shoot an arrow.

"Susan!" Peter shouted as he ran up to meet her.

The woman let her gaze fall to her brother for only a second before notching an arrow and shooting it into the sea of orcs before here...there were just so many of them.

"What is wron-" Peter only had to direct his gaze to where she was firing to know exactly what was happening. "Dear Aslan, help us." He breathed out.

Susan did not answer. With her brow furrowed, she shot another arrow at her opponents.

"Where is Frodo?" Aragorn said, coming up the stone staircase to them.

Finally, Susan looked away from the threat before her and over to Aragorn. Her face fell slightly upon thinking what she had done. Her eyes showed the guilt and fear she was feeling.

Somehow through her eyes Aragorn understood what had occurred.

He nodded slightly in realization. "You let him go."

She nodded also. "Boromir fell under the power of the ring...it is just too powerful."

Susan turned her face back toward the sea of attackers, a small cut with a drop of blood glistened on her lip in the sunlight, letting Peter know just how far Boromir had fallen under the spell of the ring. Boromir would never hurt a woman, especially not Susan. He decided not to address the issue now for it was not the best time. He was already feeling betrayed, there was no need to distract him further.

Susan looked over at her brother with a strange look on her face, causing him to raise an eyebrow in her direction. "Well, do you plan on helping or are you just going to stand there gawking at me, Peter?" She snapped,sounding like the Susan from their childhood and clearly as agitated and on edge as she was then. King Peter smirked quickly before turning to the oncoming orcs. They were close now; in fact, they would be upon them in only a matter of seconds.

Those next few seconds seemed like a millennium to Susan as she shot arrow after arrow, never running out of ammunition. The oncoming threat seemed different than the orcs she had encountered before in the mine; these creatures were fouler and more barbaric. With every one of them she cut down the beasts seemed to multiply.

They were something more unnatural than Susan could have ever thought of in her wildest dreams.

But she could not think on that now. She had to concentrate; she had to make sure these things did not lay their hands on Frodo. Her thoughts stayed on Frodo as the orcs came twenty, ten, then five feet from three of them.

It was time and the battle began.

The two men dove down upon their rushing attackers while Susan stayed atop and let her arrows rain down upon them. She had been shooting as many arrows as fast as she could be even that was not enough to slow them down; Susan had to get below and help the two men in action.

She ran to the opposite side of the ruin platform and fired some more arrows, clearing a path for herself to make it down the stairs. The orcs closest to her fell, leaving her enough time to nearly jump down the staircase to the ground.

Susan stepped over the dead orcs on the ground and made her way over to her brother and Aragorn who were standing back to back. She made it to them before she needed to fire another round of arrows.

"Any ideas of how we are going to get out of this, Peter?" She asked as she shoved an arrow in the the heart of an orc before kicking him down and notching the arrow, firing at the next opponent in line.

"What? This does not seem like we have everything under control?" He asked while slicing his enemy across the abdomen.

"Not exactly." She grunted unladylike as she continued shooting.

As Peter answered she could hear the strain in his voice. He, too, knew that his was an impossible task for three people to accomplish...there were just too many of these orcs.

"Divide and concur, then?" Peter suggested.

Susan nodded frantically before replacing her bow on her back and pulling out her sword. "That sounds reasonable. Good luck." She shot over her shoulder as she dove in to the thick sea of orcs with her brother right behind her. From the corner of her eye she could see Aragorn heading the opposite direction, toward the hill on which the wave of enemies were approaching. Susan cut down the orc closest to her, then took the head of another; though she was small Susan was gifted with the power to fight and fight well at that.

The moments seemed to move in slow motion in the same fashion: attack, defend, kill. The orcs still moved against them despite all that had been massacred.

The three were outnumbered and were in desperate need of help.

Susan looked over at her brother, taking on three orcs at one time, and by the look of him he was beginning to tire.

The queen took her horn to her lips again and blew, creating a loud blearing to sound over the hill top.

"Susan!" She heard her brother yell, causing her to stop mid-blow. She turned around to see that she had managed to catch the attention of a large number of enemies; she had managed to make herself a large target.

She re-sheathed her sword as she moved backward, toward the ruined stairway again. The girl took out her bow once more and began firing into the crowd of orcs that rushed toward her. Susan stepped backwards up the stairs, slowly making it back to the point where she could once again go onto the offensive.

The queen kept moving upward, shooting as she went.

She was almost to the top when an arrow, foreign to her, whizzed by her arm, grazing her skin in the process. The shock of it all caused Susan to loose her footing and crash onto the steps. She was just about to raise her bow again when one of the orcs made it to her and stepped down on her wrist, hard.

Susan gasped in pain, letting go of her bow in the process. Her eyes followed as her primary weapon sailed down to the ground in the midst of the raging battle below. She shot her gaze quickly back to the orc to see that it had it's sword raised at her.

The sword sailed down toward her. Just before it made contact with her flesh, Susan was able to pull a dagger from her sleeve and stab it into the orc's thigh. The beast howled in agony, distracted enough to give Susan the time to kick it square in the chest, and send him falling back into a group of his comrades.

The queen looked down at the spot where her bow leaded abandoned. She scrambled to stand up and move back down the stairs. She took out the sword and cut her way through her enemies to get over to her bow.

Within seconds, she had found the spot where her bow had fallen. She bent quickly to pick it up, letting her guard down for a mere second, before turning back around. The queen took in a sharp breath as she saw an orc stranding with a sword only inches from her abdomen. She was just about to strike against it when it fell to the ground at her feet.

It was then that Susan saw what had killed it-an arrow stuck out from the orc's back.

Her head shot up to see Legolas standing several feet from her. He smiled slightly and nodded before returning to his own personal battles.

From the corner of her eye, she also so a small dwarf chopping at the orcs with an ax in his hand. She smiled, knowing that her, Peter, and Aragorn were not alone. After this realization happened, the fight seemed to pass faster.

Even though the odds were still not in their favor, Susan knew they had a chance to make it out of this alive.

"How many are you on, Las?" Gimili asked after, by some miracle, most of the orcs lay dead at their feet.

"I'm sorry?" Susan questioned, shooting an arrow into one of the few stragglers. At this point, it was just her and Legolas finishing off their opponent's while the others checked to make sure the orcs on the ground were truly dead.

"How many did you kill?" He restated.

Susan lowered her bow and took a much needed deep breath. "I did not keep count, master dwarf."

His bushy eyebrows furrowed. "Really? How interesting..." He paused, looking over at Legolas. "Elf, I believe our queen, here, beat you."

Legolas, too, lowered his bow. He studied Susan for a second before addressing Gimili. "She had a head start but I am sure she fought valiantly, nonetheless."

Susan smirked, slightly. "Are you suggesting that you are a better archer than I? That you can kill more than I can?"

"I was merely stated the fact that-"

Susan cut him off. "Next time, I shall keep count and we will truly know who is better in combat."

A ghost of a smile came to the elf's lips. "As you wish, my queen."

"Has anyone seen Boromir?" Peter said from a spot atop the ruin. "It struck me as odd that we have not encountered him at all."

Susan frowned, thinking that not only was the man of Gondor missing, but also..."Where are the hobbits?"

"We left them at camp and told them to stay there until we came back for them." Legolas said.

"And since when have they listened to anything we have told them?" Susan questioned.

It was then Susan's turn to furrow her brow. Boromir was missing along with the hobbits. Yes, Legolas said that he told them to stay put but did that mean they did it? Of course not.

The girl took a few steps closer to the hill nearest the forest from which they emerged. Everything seemed calm...that was until it was not anymore.

A piercing cry of a horn broke the air from somewhere below their perch.

Susan turned around to the men and shook her head sadly before taking off with them close at her heels.

The horn of Gondor bleared in her ears as she ran down the hill, closer and closer to it's owner. Boromir was in trouble, that much was certain. The only question now was how much trouble he actually was in.

They came down the hill and approached a steeper part of the forest. Susan skidded to a stop as she saw the large number of orcs below her, all running toward the river and Boromir.

Once again, she notched an arrow and arrows rained down upon them. Advancing down the hill was slow due to the steepness of it mixed with concentrating on carving a way through the scattered group of orcs. But she tried her hardest to make it to the man of Gondor as fast as she could. Despite what happened with Frodo, she knew that Boromir was a good man. He had faltered, as everyone does at one point or another, and deep in his heart he wanted redemption.

Susan stopped at the top of the next steep hill and looked down; she gasped at what she saw. Boromir was on his knees with several arrows sticking out from his chest. A look of numbness and exhaustion was splashed on his face. But this was not what scared her most of all: an orc stood three feet away from the man with a bow and arrow aimed right at his face.

From the corner of her eye, Susan saw Aragorn fly past her and down the hill without a second thought. Coming to her senses the next second, she followed him down, aiming an arrow at the orc. She bit her lip in concentration as she released the arrow into the orc's back.

The creature did not scream nor did he seemed phased at all by his new injury. He pulled the string of his large bow back further, ready to strike Boromir down for good, but he did not have a chance to release the arrow. The next instant, Aragorn appeared from behind a tree- Susan concluded he took the long way around-and, with his sword, swatted the bow from the monster's hands.

Instantaneously, the two became immersed within a battle. With the beast distracted, Susan ran right past the brawl and over to help Boromir. She had just made it over to him when his body could no longer support his own body weight. Susan grabbed the man's shoulders and helped him to lay down with his head in her lap.

"It's alright. You are going to be alright." She reassured.

She smoothed down his hair, soothingly, while her eyes darted back to fight: the two were still locked in the battle. Aragorn had successfully stabbed the creature in the leg but got kicked in the nose during the process, resulting in angry red blood to flow down his face. Susan was just about to grab for her bow again, to help, when Aragorn managed to stab the orc straight through the abdomen. The orc looked down at the sword running through his body and snarled. It's eyes went back to look at Aragorn as it pulled the sword farther into him, bringing the man closer to him with every pull, and growled.

In one swift movement, Susan saw Aragorn pull his sword from the creature and swing it over his head, right above the orc's shoulders. The next second, the orc's head rolled off it's shoulders and the body slumped to the forest floor.

All went silent for a moment.

Aragorn took a few deep breaths before looking over and locking gazes with Susan. He nodded slightly before looking away and toward Boromir. The man ran toward them and came to kneel beside his friend.

Susan's gaze also went down to Boromir. His face was sweaty and he looked pale, too pale. The queen saw Aragorn's hand go to the arrows sticking out from Boromir but the man quickly grabbed his wrist.

"Leave it!" He told him in a strained yell, taking heavy breaths the entire time.

"But we must remove them-" Susan tried to explain but was cut off.

"My days are spent." The man breathed out with a timid tone in his voice, causing Susan's eyes to tear up.

It was obvious to her that he was going to die but for him to openly admit his knowledge of this fact caused her to feel sorry for him; it must have been terribly frightening to know that this was the end of your life, that your finally moments will be spent many miles away from home.

A twig snapped from somewhere farther up the hill, causing Susan's eyes to dart in that direction. Legolas and Peter were standing there with various degrees of shock and sympathy on their faces.

Susan's gaze made contact with Peter's and then finally Legolas's. A tear rolled down her cheek as she shook her head, confirming what the two had already suspected.

"They took them. They took the little ones." Boromir fought to breathe out.

"Do not think on that now." Aragorn told him as he clasped a hand on his shoulder.

Boromir shook his head. "I can see it now...Gondor doomed to suffer and fall to ruin when the ring lands back in the hands of its master."

Aragorn's eyes darted to Susan for a second but there was nothing she could say to comfort the dying man.

"I swear to you that I will not let the White City fall." Aragorn promised.

Boromir nodded before he grabbed for his sword that was just out of reach. Susan took the sword from the ground and handed it to him. The man put as firm a grip as he could on the weapon and pressed it against his chest.

His eyes went back to meet Susan's. "I am so sorry, my lady." He gasped out.

A tear sprung from her eye as she realized that these were going to be his parting words-his last chance for redemption.

"I forgive you...We all do." She answered, smoothing down his hair one more time.

The man of Gondor then looked back to Aragorn. "I would have followed you anywhere, my brother and my king."

Then Boromir began to cough, a drop of blood rolled out of his mouth and down his chin, and went still.

Aragorn let out a deep breath and closed his friends eyes. "Be at peace." He whispered into the air.

Susan stared down at Boromir for a second, not really believing that he was dead.

The second of their Fellowship was dead.

The Ring-Bearer was missing.

They were in total ruin.

"Susan," She heard her brother call to her though the fog of her mind. His hand was at her elbow, helping her to stand. "Come away." He told her gently as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, comforting her, as he started walking her back up the hill.

Susan shot a glance over her shoulder to see Boromir for the last time as Legolas and Aragorn picked him up and began to move his body.

The men laid Boromir in a boat and sent him down the river, giving him as much ceremony as they could allow.

Susan stood next to Peter, letting him rub her arm sympathetically. Yes, it was true that this death had hit a chord with Susan but that did not mean that she would fall to pieces as Peter expected her to. She was strong and would never allow herself to be compromised because of grief; Boromir would not have wanted that either.

The boat went over the waterfall several hundred feet away and Boromir was then lost to them forever. Susan choked back her tears and turned away, looking over at the forest that was now littered with countless bodies.

The silence that was surrounding them was deafening to Susan's ears. She could not stay there any longer.

Instantly, Susan went over to their camp site and began to pack up her belongings. She stuffed everything into her knapsack, not even caring that it was not neat and in it's proper place.

"Susan, what are you doing?" Peter asked as he came up to her.

The girl sighed in frustration. "Honestly, Peter, what does it look like I am doing?" Her eyes drifted from her brother to Legolas, who stood several feet behind him. She shook her head, never once breaking eye contact with the elf. "I cannot just sit here and wait for someone else to die. It's-I-I cannot bear anymore of this. We need to take action."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Legolas's face and he nodded. The next second he went over to their remaining boat and began to push it into the water. "We must get to the other side. If we leave now we shall catch up with Frodo and Sam by nightfall."

Peter and Gimili raced over to help the elf but Susan and Aragorn stayed as they were. The two exchanged a glance before looking back at three others. When they noticed this, they all stopped what they were doing.

Legolas and Aragorn's eyes locked.

"You do not mean to follow him." Legolas questioned, already knowing the answer.

The queen's gaze shot to Aragorn for a second before going back to address the elf. "It is not in our power to protect him anymore." She explained.

"Then we have failed." Gimili breathed the words out, defeated by them.

Susan nodded her head, feeling the same crushing defeat as he did. Her and Peter's mission in this world was to help protect Frodo. And now he was gone.

What were they supposed to do then? Where would they go? Would they be sent back to England?

"We have not failed." Aragorn said, coming to stand closer to the group. "We might not be able to help Frodo directly but we can still aid in his mission." He paused. "Besides, Merry and Pippin are still out there and I for one will not abandon them to this fate. Will you?"

Susan's face tightened as she realized that there was still hope for her and her brother to stay in Middle Earth; they were not useless. The queen smiled and shook her head. "We need to retrieve the hobbits."

The other three men each gave a similar response and the matter was easily resolved: they were going to save Merry and Pippin.

"Pack and be ready to go in five minutes." Aragorn said. "Let's hunt some orc."

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Tell me what you think please!**


	14. Damaged At Best

**Don't hate me! I know I havent updated in, like, forever but it's been hard to write. Lots going on in my life now. But the chapter is now up and I hope it was worth the wait! **

**Moving On...**

Aragorn burst around a corner of a break in the towering, rocky cliffs, breathing heavily as he continued running. They were half a day behind the party of Uruk Hai that had captured Merry and Pippin and they needed to keep up their pace if they wished to catch them before they made it to their destination.

Legolas rounded the corner next with Peter right on his heels. The two had been running quite closely together for the past three days but have merely muttered several words.

Peter was still weary to trust the elf and, quite honestly, he did not care to get to know him. There was something-besides the fact that he had a flirtation with his little sister- that was very off putting to Peter.

Susan came next, panting, trying to find her breath. The queen was not much of a runner but she was holding her own during the journey. Besides, she could be doing worse...

From behind her, Susan heard the sound of air rushing out of lungs and a body hitting the ground. She spun back to see Gimili rolling down the grassy hill, grunting the whole way down. He came to a stop and growled into the air, causing her to laugh.

The dwarf looked up at the Narnian queen. "Do you find this amusing, my lady?"

Susan fought to control her laugh, barely succeeding. She went over to Gimili and helped him to his feet. "I am sorry, master dwarf, but it is nice to see someone act less graceful than I." She told him, referring to all of her mishaps during their journey.

"Well, what do you expect!" The dwarf shouted. "We have been traveling for three days straight! No food or rest is to be had."

"We must find Merry and Pippin, Gimili! That is our mission now. Do you want those hobbits to die?"

"No, my lady. Of course not." The dwarf told her, almost shocked that she would ask such a question.

Susan raised an eyebrow at him and crouched down to eye level. "Then stop complaining for it is slowing us down."

Susan tried to keep her face serious but it only lasted a moment. A wide grin appeared across her face and a chuckled escaped her lungs.

Gimili felt the sting of her insult but once that laugh escaped, he began to feel better, like he had been re-energized by the playful mood. "Aye, my lady. I shall work on it."

"Hey, are you two coming?" Peter said from several paces up the next hill.

"Yes, Peter." Susan sighed. Just as Gimili was, she too was exhausted. But she must endure it as the men were. Susan began running to catch up with the three men ahead of her and stopped, curious, when she saw Aragorn leaning his head down against a large stone, listening intently. "What is he doing?" Susan questioned Peter.

The boy shrugged. "Beats me. I have stopped trying to figure out what is going in this world long ago. Now I just go with whatever they say to do."

Susan let a small smile appear and shook her head at Peter. "Oh, my dear brother. How is it that you can go from not listening to anything anyone says to always doing what you are told?"

He gave her a side glance and smirked. "I do not know, Susan. How is it that you can go from always doing what you are told to not listening to anything anyone says?"

Susan laughed, remembering a time when these spats between her and her brother were more often and shared with their younger siblings. It was a happy, much needed memory for her now when things seemed so difficult. "Touche, Peter."

"The Uruk Hai's pace has quickened." Aragorn announced as he sat up straight and stood, looking particularly disgusted. "We have been found out."

Susan was not sure how this was possible for they were nearly half a day's journey behind them and well out of their sight. Could there be spies out here in middle of the wilderness?

"Legolas!" She heard Aragorn's voice carry on the wind up the path. "What do your elf eyes see?"

The queen directed her gaze toward a high hill on which Legolas was standing, staring into the distance. "The Uruk Hai have changed course!" He shouted over his shoulder then paused as if trying to where the Uraki were headed. "They are taking the hobbits to Isenguard!"

"What is at Isenguard?" Peter asked.

"Saruman." Aragorn spit. "He is Saruon's right hand. His alley in the realm of the living until the time he can return to his full power." The man looked back at the Pevensies with determined eyes. "Once he realizes that they do not have the Ring..."

Susan sombered, not needing the man to finish his sentence for she knew what he would say. She grabbed Peter's arm as if to reassure herself that they were not too late, that they still had time. In response, her brother's arm went about her shoulders protectively; he knew how hard this information would hit on the Gentle Queen's heart.

"We have no time to waste, then. Do we?" Peter asked at the same moment that Gimili caught up with them and leaned over, hands on his knees, to catch his breath.

"No, we do not." Aragorn responded. "Let's head out."

The next instant he was running again, catching up with Legolas who was shrinking into the haze of the early morning sunlight. Peter and Susan exchanged a glance before Susan sighed and the two started on their never ending trek once more.

"Come, Gimili!" Susan called behind her. "We are gaining on them!"

She could hear the dwarf mumble something under his breath that, to Susan, sounded oddly like a curse but she did not say anything. The man was already irritable and did not need more of a hard time than she had already given him.

Three days without food and sleep would be trying on anyone but there was no time for whining nor arguing for that matter. There was only time enough to save the hobbits.

For the rest of the day the remaining members of the broken Fellowship ran without speaking a word.

* * *

The next morning-by the position of the sun Susan assumed that it was now close to noon-after hours of running Aragorn stopped suddenly and began to stare over a prairie area. It did not seem any different than the terrine they had been traveling on since their journey began but something must have changed...but what?

"This is the realm of Rohan and king Theoden, the great horse master." Aragorn announced.

"Are those in this country friends or foes?" Peter asked.

Susan noticed Aragorn and Legolas exchange a look of defeat.

"I do not know." Aragorn said, finally turning to look back at the Pevensie's. "It has been many years since I have traveled here."

"Well, that is terrific, isn't it?" Susan told them sarcastically. "The Uraki have obviously passed into this country without a hitch which should mean that these people are allies with Saruman." She gave each of the man a raised-eyebrowed glare. "Am I correct?"

From the corner of her eye she could see Peter shaking his head at her. "No, Sue. You are just making assumptions. Perhaps the king of these lands does not have patrols out here."

The queen bit her lip, about to protest, when a sound filled the air-the sound of horse hooves pounding against dirt. She looked back at Peter. "Would you like to stay here and find out who is right, brother?"

"Susan..." Peter warned as he stared into the distance where the shapes of men on horses were beginning to appear. A semi-frightened look sprang to life on his face.

"No, really. I shall just ask them if they are good or evil. It should not be much of an inconvenience to them." She joked, pretending to take a step toward the approaching calvary. She knew that she was right in saying that these people of Rohan were not to be trusted. In the times of war, no one was to be trusted until proven to be so.

The horses and their riders were approaching faster.

Without another word from anyone, Aragorn grabbed hold of Susan's wrist pulling her toward a large boulder. Aragorn was not willing to risk their lives to amuse the queen.

The three other men followed them behind the boulder and stayed quiet, waiting for these men to pass so they could be on their way. With every passing moment Merry and Pippin drew closer to their deaths and they needed to make haste.

Susan's chest tightened at the thought.

Seconds passed by before the horses clad in armor and the men dressed in green and metal rode past their hiding spot, not even detecting their presence on their land. The last of the riders sped by and Susan was about to let out a sigh of relief, only to have her gasp the next instant.

Aragorn rushed past her and out into the open. He cupped his hands around his mouth and began to yell. "Riders of Rohan! What news from the mark!"

Susan then let out the sigh she had been holding but it was to calm herself instead of done in relief. Legolas took a step closer to her, causing the queen to look over at him. Gimili and Peter had already ran out to join Aragorn as they waited for the calvary to turn about and come back around to them.

"Have faith, my lady. Though I do not like what Aragorn has done, I trust his judgment, as I believe you do too." He told her. The first words he had uttered to her since their last battle four days ago.

Susan smiled slightly and nodded before running after Legolas to rejoin her companions. She came to stand between Peter and Legolas, waiting as the riders drew near.

_Have faith. _She repeated to herself. _Do not always see the negative side of things, Susan._

The riders had reached them then and circled, completely surrounding the five companions. The horses came to a halt and the next instant more than twenty spears and arrows were pointed in their direction.

On instinct, Susan raised her bow and notched an arrow simultaneously, pointing her weapon at the man closest to her who had the looks of their leader. She saw that Legolas too had his bow raised.

The two group was silent for a moment, as if deciding what to think and what to do with one another.

Susan felt a gentle hand go to her wrist.

"Susan, put it down." She heard her brother whisper to her. "Do not do anything foolish."

She took a few deep breaths, trying to lose the adrenaline that had flooded her system, before lowering her bow and then replacing it on her back. Peter was right. She was being foolish, thinking she would take on twenty men with spears and bows and swords.

They were outnumbered and she needed to act like it.

She looked over at Legolas and gave him a slight nod,silently telling him to put away his weapon. The elf nodded in return before lowering his own bow. Unlike Susan, however, he did not put his weapon away.

The man that Susan had earlier thought to be the leader, identified himself by lowering from his steed and standing before them.

"What business do two men, an elf, a dwarf, and-" The man cut off when his eyes met Susan. She was puzzled as to why it was. The look he gave was not filled with lust nor hatred but merely sheer bewilderment. "And an armed woman have in the Ridamark?" He questioned.

"Why don't you tell me your business, horse mater. Then I will gladly let you know mine." Gimili said, speaking up with disrespect in his words. Susan believed that the man's tone was the thing that caused the dwarf's anger.

The man of Rohan glared down at Gimili. The dwarf glared glared dangerously back. "I would cut off your head, dwarf, for such manners as yours...that is if you stood any farther off the ground."

Susan scoffed and without thinking, her need to say something took over. "He did not mean any harm, my lord. I assure you. We are simply passing through-"

The man spun on Susan, his bright blue eyes stared into hers. The man tilted his head to her. "And for what reason would a lady such as yourself be traveling with four men?" He looked at the rest of her companions and shook his head, coming up with several scenerios that Susan knew were probably vile and disgusting.

"I do not see how that matter concerns you." She spat, suddenly furious at the man, herself.

The leader's gaze shot back to her and instantly she knew that she had gone too far. How was it that her courtly manner had disappeared so quickly? Where had she learned to speak in such a way that makes her seem wretched? She assumed that this type of attitude had come from Peter and Edmund...both had a way of using their mouths to start a fight.

The man took a step toward her but Susan did not move nor flinch. The gray eyes that stared at her were furious and angry, obviously, but she did not sense any evil in them strangely enough. He did not frighten her though she was sure he meant to.

Something was different about this man...she sensed that he was not an enemy of theirs.

"You should watch your tongue, my lady. It will get you into trouble one of these days." He lowered his voice. "I would hate for that day to be today."

The next second Susan heard the creaking of a bow string being pulled back at the same time her brother put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

She looked over to see that Legolas had his bow raised and pointed at this man's head. "You would die before you even could touch her." He growled.

The leader's men raised their weapons also, pointing them dangerously close to the Fellowship's faces. As Peter did to her, Susan reached over and laid her tiny hand on top of Legolas's wrist. His eyes did not leave the man but his face softened slightly.

"Legolas," Susan whispered, finally causing the elf to look at her. Their eyes connected and nothing more needed to be said for him to settle his nerves.

The elf took a few deep, calming breaths before finally lowering his bow and nodding. Susan smiled slightly as she removed her hand that she realized was still touching him. Their eyes stayed connected for a second longer before being interrupted by Peter who pulled Susan closer to him by the hand, keeping an eye on the sister who apparently felt the need to cause trouble with these men.

Aragorn stepped forward slightly from his position next to Peter. "We mean no harm. We are friends of Theoden, your king." He said in his most trustworthy voice.

The man stared at Aragorn for a moment as if trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not. "The king can no longer tell friend from foe." He told them sadly. "Nor does he recognize his own kin."

The man removed his helmet causing his men to lower their weapons. This leader, Susan thought, was a handsome enough man. Scruffy, yes, with long, tangled hair and an unshaven dirty face but still a decent sort. From his looks Susan could tell that they were most definitely a long way from Rivendell- this was a more barbaric place.

He looked around at his men. "My company is the last of those loyal to Rohan."

"What has happened that has caused the king to forget?" Peter asked.

The man who stood in from of him sighed. "The king's mind has been poisoned by his advisor, Grimma. No longer are the king's thoughts and decisions his own."

Susan shook her head, thinking how terrible this situation must be for the leader. To have his own family member exile him, throw him out without anywhere to go, was just something she could not imagine.

Apparently, the men did not share her sympathetic sentiments for Aragorn nodded before continuing on. "We have been tracking a pack of Uruk Haiacross the plain...they have taken two of our friends captive."

The leader nodded. "We came across them in the night and slaughtered them. Over there we piled the carcasses and burned them." He told them as he nodded his head in the direction of a large amount of smoke billowing into the sky near a forest.

Susan gasped audible. "There-there were two hobbits with the Uraki. Did you see them?" She asked timidly.

"They would be small." Aragorn added. "Only children to your eyes."

The man thought for a second, looking down at the ground during the process. He finally looked back up and them, pursed his lips, and shook his head. "We left none alive."

Susan felt her heart sink. The queen grabbed her brother's arm to steady herself.

The hobbits were dead? They had failed?

"Peter," She said, trying to fight her urge to cry for their loss.

The king simply put his arm around his sister's shoulders as he tried to console her again.

"I am truly sorry." The man told them, looking over at Susan while tears filled her eyes as she stared into the distance.

Susan did not pay much attention to the events that followed for her mind was to wrapped up in an image of her two hobbit friends. From these thoughts her mind wandered to Sam and Frodo and how they were doing. If Merry and Pippin were dead could that mean that the others were too? These thoughts then lead to her younger siblings, worrying about their safety and whereabouts.

Oh, how she wish she knew the condition that all were in.

_Aslan, please give me strength._

Susan vaguely heard the leader talking to Aragorn before the sound of horse hooves indicated the company's departure.

"Sue," Peter called to her, pulling her from her thoughts. The queen looked up to see that her brother was standing with the other men next to three beautiful horses. Peter gave her a small, sympathetic smile. "We must go check." Peter hoisted himself onto the horse and held his hand out to his sister, waiting to help her on.

Susan sighed, straightened her back to it's full extent, and walked over to him as gracefully as she possibly could. The queen bypassed her brother's awaiting hand and pulled herself up on to the horse by herself.

Peter took a deep breath, knowing full well that in a few minutes Susan would be even more distraught that she was now.

Next to the royals, Legolas and Gimili had mounted a white horse and Aragorn had already started making his way to the burning pile on his own brown horse.

In a matter of minutes the group came to the pile and dismounted.

Susan kept a hand over her mouth due to the smell of the burning flesh. The sight of the pile-no, mountain-of charred bodies caused a chill to run down her spine. Among these beasts, did the bodies of the hobbits lie? Could the men of Rohan truly slain two innocent souls without knowing they did so?

The five of them walked over to the carcasses and began looking. Gimili, Peter, and Legolas began poking around the Uruk Hai bodies, looking for some sign of the small hobbits Susan circled the pile, doing the same, while Aragorn strayed farther away from all of them.

From the corner of his eye, Peter could see the elf looking at his sister as she searched, causing a small rush of anger to flow through him. He turned to Legolas and looked him full on as if silently telling him to stop.

The blond elf stared back at Peter with knowing blue eyes. "Your sister is feeling so much sorrow, my king." He told the eldest Pevensie.

Peter nodded. "Susan is very empathetic. She usually suffers due to how much she cares for others." Peter told him before turning back to the pile. "I hate to see her suffer for the love and compassion she holds for others but somehow she always manages to get herself hurt."

"It is better to be hurt by love than to never have loved at all." Legolas countered, feeling slightly defensive.

Peter froze and looked over at the elf again. He took a rough, deep breath. The king shook his head. "It is better for Susan to not love than nearly be destroyed by it again. I will not let her return to that state ever again. Do you understand?" Peter warned.

It was in that moment that Legolas felt the threat that Peter carried. He raised an eyebrow at the king and tried to response but could not. What was he to say? Nothing. The elf's glance went back to Susan for a second before going back to the pile, thinking on what King Peter had just said.

"Look," Gimili said, holding a burned object in his hands. Susan quickly came over to the three men to get a better look at what he had found. "It is one of their belts."

Susan felt tears come to her eyes and the weight of the loss rushed into her chest again as if she had been hit with a brick. The queen walked away from the men, finding she needed some fresh air, and stared off into the dense forest that stretched before her. Her arms wrapped around her torso, suddenly feeling cold.

From behind her, Susan heard Aragorn cry out in rage and grief as Legolas sent a pray out to the two lost hobbits. Tears freely ran down her eyes now; she did not care if the men saw her crying now.

All was silent for a moment before Aragorn spoke. "A hobbit lay on the grass here, another laid beside him." He began, reading the lines of the ground. "They crawled away from the action." A shuffle of feet followed. "Their bonds were cut."

At those words, Susan spun around to see what Aragorn was doing. He was kneeling down, holding rope in his hand. The man's eyes came to Susan's and he smiled slightly; he stood, again staring at the ground. "They continued crawling away from the battle until they reached-"

"Fangorn..." Gimili exclaimed as he, Peter, and Legolas came near Aragorn and Susan. "Why would they do something so foolish?"

"What's wrong with the forest? I mean, if they made into there they should be safe, right?" Susan asked frantically, needing to know if it was insane for her to hope for their survival. She looked around at the three men from Middle Earth, all with various degrees of doubt on their faces.

"It is a dangerous forest, Susan." Aragorn exclaimed. "They say the Saruman wanders through Fangorn...there is no way to be sure if they are alive unless we go in there."

Susan nodded. "Then what are we waiting for?" She asked.

The men looked around at each other as if asking the same question. Without an answer, Susan took out her bow and began running toward the forest.

Aragorn and Peter shared a glance behind her, both smiled at her persistence before all of them followed her into the depths of Fangorn Forest.

**So, I hope you enjoyed it. I had fun writing this chapter. Please tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	15. The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows

**Disclaimer- I do not own Lord of the Rings or Narnia...It's kind of a bummer that I am not that talented. **

**I hope you like the chapter! I really enjoyed writing this one! **

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When Susan ran into the forest that had been identified as Fangorn the only things that were on her mind were the two small hobbits. But as she wandered farther into the wood, it quickly registered to her that something was not quite right in there. It was quiet; not in a way that would make one feel peaceful but more like someone was watching you silently from the cover of the tree tops. Susan kept an arrow notched in her bow, ready to strike at this imaginary advisory.

"Is it just me," Peter asked, "or do you have a shiver running through you?"

Susan nodded, though her brother did not see it for his eyes were too peeled for danger.

"This forest is old," Legolas told them. "Very old."

The group continued walking, stepping over roots growing up from the earth and jumping at every sound of a twig snapping below their feet. Soon enough Susan heard creaking-the sound of old bark stretching and shifting-coming from above their heads. She looked around frantically, searching for the culprit but she could find none.

"The trees are talking to each other." The elf announced.

Susan heard a chuckle from the dwarf behind her. She turned back to him and pursed her lips together as if silently asking what he was going on about. "Trees talking to each other." He repeated. "It is such a preposterous idea! They are nothing but bark and leaves! Nothing of substance-"

The creaking sound rose up again, causing Gimili to raise his ax in defense.

"Gimili," Susan called quickly. "Put that down. You are scaring them."

The dwarf looked down at his ax and laughed again. "Scaring the trees?" He asked with a quivering voice. "Do you honestly believe the rubbish this elf is saying?"

"Yes, I do." Susan told him with a smile. "Because the trees in Narnia talked, as well." The queen looked around at the forest surrounding her. "Though I must admit that they are not as spooky as they are here."

"I do not think it is the trees that are bothering you." Legolas whispered from several feet away.

Susan almost jumped clear out of her skin but managed to stay calm and focused. She heard Legolas say something to Aragorn in elvish that she had no way of understanding but she knew that something was wrong, that someone was there...watching them.

Susan tightened her bow string, readying herself for what she feared was to happen next: an attack. The queen's eyes stayed focused on Legolas who seemed to be the only one who sensed this danger. The group seemed to begin gravitating closer together; Susan found herself shoulder to shoulder with Legolas, the only other archer in the bunch.

"We must be quick." Aragorn whispered. "If it is the white wizard he shall try to put a spell on us." The man looked around at the group assembled around him, readying them for the attack. Then, suddenly, he spun around, followed by the rest of them. A bright light appeared in Susan's eyes and she was blinded.

The queen blindly let loose the arrow she had notched in her bow, hoping that she could hit her intended target. She lowered her bow just in time to see her arrow deflected by an unknown force. Another arrow, Legolas's, flew by but was also deflected. An ax thrown by Gimili went in the right direction only to shot the opposite way by the great light.

Susan then heard hisses of pain. She turned to see that both Peter and Aragorn dropped their swords and clutched their hands.

They all stood in defeat. Waiting for what would happen next.

"You seek two young hobbits. They passed by here just the day before yesterday." A figure from the blinding light explained in a roaring voice. "They met someone they did not expect, does that comfort you?"

Susan's gaze met Aragorn's, each giving the other a puzzled look.

"Who are you?" Aragorn finally demanded to know.

No answer came. All of a sudden the bright, white light began to dim and from it's depths stepped forward a man. Susan tilted her head at the familiar figure but she could not believe her eyes.

It was a trick, was it not? It had to be a spell cast by this white wizard. She took a step forward, away from the men, and came to stand before the man. He looked back down at her with a small smile on his lips and recognition in his eyes. "Gandalf?"

His face suddenly fell, as if confusion had just taken over him. "Gandalf?" He questioned. A light then went on in his brain. "Ahh, yes. Gandalf the Grey. That is what they used to call me."

Susan nodded frantically, relived that he remembered.

He stepped a bit closer to the queen and whispered. "I am Gandalf the White."

It was Susan's turn to let her gaze turn confused. She raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.

"But, how? You fell." Aragorn asked, also coming forward.

Gandalf turned to the man and nodded. "Through fire and water." He explained. Gandalf continued his story, which Susan listened to intently, completely fascinated. He fought the shadow creature they had encountered to the death and then, by some miracle, he returned to Middle Earth as a new person.

"I am Saruman, or rather, Saruman as he should have been." He ended.

The five members of the Fellowship looked around each other, silently asking if they all could believe this new revelation. Peter came to stand next to his sister and extended his hand to Gandalf. "It is wonderful to see you again, friend."

Gandalf the White took Peter's hand. "Thank you, my King."

"So, Gandalf," Susan started. "where do we go from here?"

"To Edoras, My Queen." He responded before turning around, without another word to any of them, and walking in the opposite direction. Susan and Peter exchanged a quick glance before following his footsteps.

* * *

As they walked, and then rode, to their destination Gandalf explained to them what was happening. The king of Rohan had, as his nephew explained, been poisoned with lies by his advisor and the entire kingdom was now under siege by these so called "wild men". Gandalf told them that he believed that they could be of assistance.

So soon enough, the group arrived at the city of Edoras, the capital city of Rohan and home of King Theoden. To Susan, the city was not a very safe one. Sure, it was built up on a hill which would help alert it's people that an enemy was coming, but it's outter walls were made of wood, which could easily burned down to gain access into the city.

The four horses came to a halt right outside of the gate, waiting to be allowed in. As Gandalf shouted a few short words up to the guards, Susan watched as an emerald green flag fluttered down from the fort-like building at the top of the hill to land right in front of her and Peter's horse. As the rode into the city, she noticed that the flag had a white horse on it.

Their party rode all the way up to the top of the hill where the building Susan had saw the flag float down from sat. Peter dismounted followed by Susan. Gandalf jumped off his horse before heading up the stone stairway, leaning heavily on his staff, without waiting for the rest of his company. Susan quickened her pace to catch up to the elderly man and wrap her tiny hand around his elbow to take some of his weight.

He smiled down at her. "Ah, thank you, my dear."

Susan nodded but stayed quiet, her eyes focused on the small group of soldiers that stood at the top of the stairs waiting for them. The group came to a stop in front of these men and waited to be addressed.

"Gandalf the Grey, I am here to confiscate any and all weapons that your party possess..." He sighed. "By order of Grima Wormtongue."

"Of course," Gandalf answered before turning and nodding to the men, silently telling them to comply with this request.

The next second, the four of them began to rid themselves of their swords, bow and arrows, knives, and axes in Gimili's case. The man in front of Susan gave her a strange look that caused her to sigh. She removed her bow and arrows from her back and her sword around her waist. She handed them to the man in front of her but he still looked at her as if she had a weapon.

"Is something wrong?" Susan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My lady," The man started. "Just because you are a woman does not mean that we do not find you capable of treachery."

Susan chuckled. "Sir, I am, in fact, just a woman. I wonder how many weapons you expect me to have?"

It was true that Susan had a dagger strapped around her ankle but she did not feel comfortable giving it up to this man. Something was seriously wrong in this city and she did not want to be too vulnerable.

The man opened his mouth to answer but thought better of it. Instead, he turned back to Gandalf. "I am afraid that I will need to take your staff, as well."

"Oh, you would not part an old man with his walking stick, would you?" Susan asked, batting her eyelashes in the process. Gandalf needed his staff to perform spells, Susan knew this, and assumed that she would seem to be the most trustworthy member of their group. Her femininity was being put to good use to help them on this day.

The man thought on this for a moment before simply nodding and turning to lead them into the Great Hall. Susan gripped Gandalf's elbow again and noticed him wink at her from the corner of his eye; the queen smiled. She noticed, also, that Gandalf put his arm, and staff, below his cape in an attempt to hide it.

The two entered the room followed closely by Aragorn, Legolas, Peter, and Gimili. Susan noted that the king was sitting on his throne, looking sickly and old, almost as if he had been dead for some time. The group progressed slowly through the room and Susan could see that soldiers were positioned on either side of them, staying lined up with the group the entire time.

So, even though they treated the Fellowship like friends these people were actually enemies. This situation held a familiarity for Susan as if this mistrust had occurred at a different time in a different place. Then, as they arrived at the dais, did she remember why this was so familiar: it was because something of the sort happened when she visited Calormen. It is so strange, she thought, that it was so hard to see the difference between friends and foes sometimes.

"Hail, King Theoden!" Gandalf greeted the very small looking royal.

The king groaned before looking up at Gandalf with a confused face. "Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?"

"A just question, my liege." A voice, belonging to whom Susan believed to be Grima Wormtongue, said before the man it belonged to came out from the shadows to kneel in front of his king. This man was too sickly looking and pale in Susan's eyes with long, greasy black hair and small beady eyes; he seemed every inch a coward to the queen.

"Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. 'Lathspell', I call him. Ill news is an ill guest." He spat at Gandalf.

The elderly wizard stepped out of Susan's touch to stand in front of the short man. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth." He spat back with more force before pulling his staff out of his cloak.

Wormtongue's eyes widened. "His staff!" He whispered in horror as he backed away from Gandalf. "I told you to take the wizard's staff!"

Suddenly, the men that had been walking beside them on the opposite sides of the room began to swarm the group, attempting to get to Gandalf and restrain him. Instantly, Susan saw Legolas punch a man and Aragorn head butt another. Peter was always in some fist fight or another back in London and he seemed to be, once again, having fun punching another human's face. Gimili also seemed to be handling his own.

Susan stood close to Gandalf as he tried to break the spell that was over the King of Rohan; she was his last defense.

It was only too soon before a man came running at the wizard but Susan moved to block his path. The soldier that stood before her furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as if he did not know what to do about her. Without thinking, Susan balled her hand into a fist and threw it into the man's face. He stumbled back and was punched again by Peter before he went down.

At first, Susan felt nothing after the punch but seconds later pain exploded in her knuckles. She clenched and unclenched her fist, trying to ease the pain that would not leave her. Never before in her life had she punched a person before and now she knew why: no one won when throwing punches.

She shook her hand out and hissed in pain before looking up at the her companions to see that they had everything mostly under control. She turned back to Gandalf just in time to see Grima coming his way.

The queen reached down and took the small dagger she had strapped to her ankle before coming up behind Wormtongue and putting the blade to his throat. The man froze instantly and put his hands up to show that he had no weapons.

"On your knees...please." Susan demanded. The man complied with a growl of hatred.

Susan looked around once more to see that now all of the soldiers were on the floor, unconscious. She then turned back to Gandalf who had removed his dirty, old cloak to reveal his immaculate white robes that were glowing brightly in the dark hall.

The king was braced against his throne, as if fighting Gandalf's spell, and snarling. "If I leave, Theoden will die." The king hissed.

"Saruman, you did not kill me and you will not kill him." Gandalf shouted. "Now, begone!" With one last thrust of his staff, Gandalf caused the king screamed in rage before sinking down in his seat. Before he could fall to the floor, a beautiful young woman caught his shoulders.

Right before their eyes, the king's features morphed into something younger and more alive; he sighed before looking up at the woman.

"I know your face." Theoden said to the girl before smiling. "Eowyn."

The girl nodded as tears of joy ran down her face.

The king nodded again in recognition before looking down at his hands and moving his fingers.

"Your hands might remember their old strength if you held your sword." Gandalf offered,also smiling.

The next second, someone came up and handed the king's sword to him. He wrapped his fingers around the handle, allowing them to remember how to grip, before taking the sword and holding it up to study in the dim light.

A moment later, his eyes left the gleaming sword and drifted to the spot where Susan stood with a dagger against the traitor's neck.

Before she knew what was happening, the king was at her side and grabbing Grima's collar, dragging him toward the door. Susan watched as the man whimpered in fear as he stumbled helplessly along the floor. Susan shot her brother a look of utter shock for both knew what was about to happen next.

"Susan, do not get involved." Peter shot in her direction, but she did not hear it-or chose to ignore it-for she was already rushing out of the hall to follow the king. She saw as the king threw Wormtongue down the steep stones stairs and as the man tumbled down he groaned in pain until he stopped.

Susan watched as the king followed him with his sword at his side and rage in his eyes. "You traitor!" He shouted as he drew nearer.

Susan moved down several steps.

"I have done nothing but serve you, my lord." Grima sputtered in his defense as he cowered on the ground.

Susan moved several steps more.

"You would have had me rolling around on the floor with the dogs!" Theoden shouted in fury as he raised his sword above his head. He was just about to thrust it down, striking a fatal blow, when Susan ran down the remaining steps and caught his powerful wrists in her tiny hands.

"No, my lord!" She yelled as she struggled to keep him from killing the man. "No!"

The king finally stopped struggling and took a deep breath. He looked over at Susan with confusion and anger in his eyes.

Susan took a deep breath also before turning her eyes to the traitor at their feet. "Enough blood has been spilled on his account, my lord. I beg you not to sink onto his level."

She looked back to see the king nod at her. The queen smiled slightly and patted the king on the arm before turning back to Wormtongue and extending her hand to help him up.

The greasy man looked at it for a second before spitting on the woman's hand, standing up, and fleeing further down the hill to find a horse.

Susan sighed and shook her head. He was a coward, just as she expected.

The next second Peter, Aragorn, and Legolas were at her side. Peter took the hem of his tunic and used it to wipe the saliva off of his sister's hand. "That was noble of you, Susan." He told her. "Stupid, but noble."

She narrowed her eyes at Peter for a second before her eyes drifted over to the king who stood with a glazed over look in his eye. Susan moved past her brother to stand in front of Theoden. "My lord?" She prompted.

He continued to stare out into the distance. "Where is my son?"

* * *

The funeral for the king's son had just ended but the people's grieving had not. The pain and sorrow suffered on that day was too much for Susan to bare so she left the city walls, taking one of the horses, and riding into the valley. She rode for a while, simply trying to not think about the king's lose, before turning back in the direction of Edoras.

She slowed her horse's pace when the city came into view and took in it's brilliance. Night was on the horizon and lights were beginning to spring up all over the hill. It was a sight, almost like a very large Christmas tree, Susan thought.

She kept moving along until she came to the site of the prince's grave a quarter mile outside of the city walls. Susan stopped her horse, dismounted, and walked closer to the tomb. The queen did not know how long she was standing there, staring blankly at the grave, before she heard someone call to her through the fog that surrounded her mind.

Susan turned to see Legolas coming toward her. "My queen, are you well?" He asked as he came to stand in front of her. His eyes glanced from hers to her cheeks; it was then that Susan realized that she had been crying.

She chuckled nervously before wiping at the tear tracks on hereyes. "Oh, I am sorry. I realize that I did not know him, the prince, but it is still incredibly sad. It is silly of me to act like this, I know."

"It is not." Legolas responded, earning Susan's blue eyed gaze directed at him instead of the ground at his feet. "It is remarkable how deeply you are able to feel, my lady. I have never been one to be able to express emotion."

"Oh, it is not the gift of the elves to feel?" Susan smiled teasingly.

Legolas gave a small grin. "For some it is, for others it is...slightly more difficult." He explained.

Susan nodded her understanding. She raised her right hand to wipe away one remaining tear when she noticed Legolas's half smile fall.

"Your hand." He said simply before reaching to take it into his. But, he paused just before they touched. "May I?" He asked, causing Susan to nod, before taking her injured hand into his to examine.

She had not noticed before the way in which her hand swelled after her punch but it did looked rather gruesome, as if she had done more than hit a man. "Oh, I...sort of punched one of the soldiers earlier...It does not hurt." She told the elf, slightly embarrassed. Legolas looked from her angry red knuckles to her eyes; one eyebrow lifted. "I am afraid I am not very good at it though." Susan admitted.

Legolas dropped her hand, leaving it cold at Susan's side, before nodding. The elf began to circle her before he came to stand behind her. Ever so slowly, he took her tiny fists in his hands and raised them up as if she were going to fight an invisible opponent. "Do not tuck your thumb into your fist," he explained. "It will cause more harm to you that the other man."

"Clearly," Susan stated, thinking back to what she had done then.

Legolas's hands moved away from Susan's hands to her shoulders, adjusting them so her left was forward and the right was back slightly. "You want to lead opposite your punching hand, so you are able put all of your weight into the movement." He said.

Legolas paused for a second; Susan could feel the tenseness radiating from him to her, making her also feel nervous. She felt her hands begin to shake slightly. "And..." He started again, moving his hands down to her hips to adjust them as he had done with her shoulders. They stayed like that for a moment, adjusting to this new position before he spoke again. "Rotate your entire body with the motion." He explained.

His hands stayed lightly on her hips for another second before he dropped them to come stand in front of her once more. He held out his hand, wanting her to take a swing at it. Susan nodded her head, concentrating on what he had told her before extending her right hand back, rotating her entire body, and forcing her fist to push into Legolas's hand. It made contact and Legolas gripped her fist in his hand to stop the momentum.

Susan looked up at him, still in the same position. "Was that alright?" She questioned.

Legolas let a ghost of a smile appear on his immortal face. "It was perfect, my queen."

The two's eyes locked and Susan did not know what was developing. It was something strange and foreign that passed between the two, something that she had never experienced before. There was a name for it, she was sure, but the question was what was it called?

A moment later, Legolas blinked and shook his head slightly. He dropped his hand from around Susan's and moved away slightly. "It is getting dark." He observed. "We must be getting back into the city."

Susan cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "Of course, Peter is probably wondering where I have wandered off to."

Legolas went over to get Susan's horse before the two of them began to walk back toward the city. "Your brother," Legolas started, causing Susan to look over at him. "He is very protective of you. You are lucky to have someone who cares for you so much."

Susan allowed a laugh to burst from her lungs. "Aslan knows I love Peter dearly-he is my best friend-but his protectiveness is a little...strong at times."

Legolas looked back over at Susan with questioning eyes. "How so?"

Susan looked away then- after what happened moments earlier she did not think she could take looking at Legolas's eyes-and down at her hands. "Well, I am known to be...how to put this...less than graceful at times so he tends to hover." Susan paused and then chuckled to herself. "And there is always the matter of suiters. Peter does not trust any other them, of course."

Legolas nodded. Before he could stop himself he heard words come out of his mouth that made him shutter in regret. "Yes, he mentioned the Prince back in your world of Narnia."

Susan's steps faltered for a moment but she quickly recovered. She hoped she was fast enough to advert notice from Legolas but sure enough he had seen the misstep.

"Yes," Susan started, eyes still directed at her hands. Without realizing, the queen's back straightened as it tended to do when she was feeling tense. "His name was Caspian."

Legolas nodded but did not press the matter further, seeing how it effected her.

The two continued on in silence for a moment more before Susan came to halt, causing Legolas to stop also. He turned to look at her, face to face. She fought for a second to get the words out that she wanted to say but they could not come. The queen closed her mouth, took a deep breath, and tried again.

"I was so foolish in Narnia...with Caspian." Susan smiled. "I forgot about acting rationally and allowed myself to fall in love with a man I could never have a future with...Peter thinks that I was so devastated because I had to leave Caspian—And I was sad about that, of course. He was my first love, after all.—but what really devastated me more than anything was that the first time I let my guard down my heart got broken...I took a chance and it backfired, proving that they were all right about me." Susan chuckled. "I was not acting like a queen anymore...just the flighty girl that everyone expected me to become back in England."

Susan started playing with her fingers, finding it suddenly fascinating how they bent. She then felt a finger go under her chin forcing her to look back up at the man in front of her. Once again, their eyes connected and she felt the anxiety she had been feelingsseconds later lift.

"You, my lady, are the truest queen I have ever seen." Legolas whispered. "Do not let anyone tell you differently."

Susan bit her lower lip. "Thank you...Legolas."

Susan realized that Legolas's finger was still under her chin and this is the closet they had ever been. Normally, she would be frazzled by something such as this with a man she had only known for several weeks, but now, as he stood before her, she was strangely calm.

"Susan." Legolas whispered her name.

The queen smiled.

"There is something I must tell you." Legolas announced, letting his finger drop from her chin in exchange for taking her hands in his own and hold them between the two of them. "It is something that I should have said a long time ago...something that you should know."

Susan tilted her head at the elf. "Alright..."

"Despite what I know about this entire situation...I have been selfish." He explained. "I know that even though I am feeling the way I do I cannot-"

"Susan, is that you?"

Susan jumped out of Legolas's grasp and turned to see the outline of a man coming toward the two of them. She imagined it to be Peter, seeing as he always had the best timing of coming to look for her right when she was n the middle of something important, but, to her surprise, it was Aragorn.

"There you are." He said, his gaze darting from Susan to Legolas. "Your brother-"

"Is looking for me." She finished. "Why, I am shocked."

Aragorn smiled. "He means well, Susan." He looked over to the elf and tilted his head. A silent conversation passed between the two, going unnoticed by the queen. "Besides, we are about to go into council with the king. We are all expected to be there."

"So soon?" Susan asked, surprised. "So soon after the death of his son?"

Aragorn's eyes turned back to Susan. "I'm afraid war stops for no one and no occasion." He put a hand between her shoulder blades, pushing her forward slightly. "Come, we do not want to keep everyone waiting." The two began to walk toward the city but paused when Aragorn turned back to Legolas. "Aren't you coming?"

"I shall be along in a moment." He responded, earning a nod from Aragorn before he started walking with Susan in tow.

The queen shot a glance back at Legolas to see that he was just standing there, staring at their retreating backs. She was not sure what the look on his face meant nor did she have time to figure it out for the growing darkness swallowed the elf seconds later, leaving her still confused and curious about the man she barely knew.

But she could not think on that now. She could not be that flighty girl that she was expected to be. Susan was a queen and when she entered the Great Hall, she would act it.

* * *

**Please tell me what you think! I love hearing from you. Thanks, as always, for reading!**


	16. How It Feels To Run And Hide

**Disclaimer- I do not own Lord of the Rings or Narnia...I wish I did though!**

**Alrighty! I hope this wait wasn't terribly long..I tried to update quickly. This chapter is short but it was either this way or uber long with a long wait for it-this way seemed preferable. Lol. So yes it is short but I actually really like this chapter! **

**Here we go...**

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The remaining members of the Fellowship along with Theodin and his advisors were gathered in the Great Hall later that night. Susan, and the woman who Theodin identified as Eoywn, sat at a table in the back of the room with two children that had arrived from a small town on the outskirts of Rohan earlier that evening. The two were starved and Eoywn had sure they received something to eat.

Susan held the small girl on her lap, allowing her to reach the table and her bowl of stew easier, while her elder brother sat next to them.

"Where is mama?" The little girl asked Susan rather loudly.

Susan's eyes met Aragorn's-both knowing what probably happened to the children's mother-for a second before looking back down at the little girl. Susan allowed a gentle smile to appear on her face as the girl stared back at her; she smoothed her hair down before answering. "Let us not worry about that now, hmm? Just eat. You shall feel better."

The little girl nodded and started eating greedily once more.

The smile on Susan's face dropped once the little girl turned back to her food.

"This is only a sample of what Saruman is doing to your people." Aragorn said, pointing to the children. "Something must be done to stop this."

"What is it that you suggest, Aragorn?" Theodin asked. "Shall I send my remaining men out their to fight a battle that we will loose?" He paused. "Without the Rohirrimwe cannot ride out and beat the armies of wild men and orcs. It would be folly to try."

"It would be folly not to try!" Susan heard Peter snap from his position next to Gimili.

Susan saw Theodin raise his eyebrows at her brother, as if quite unbelieving of what he had just dared to do: question the king of the country in which they now resided. The Gentle Queen knew that trouble was about to erupt; she picked the girl up off of her lap and set her back on the bench before standing up and walking over to her brother.

"Who are you, stranger, to make such statements?" Theodin asked.

Instead of Peter answering, Aragorn stepped forward to address the king. "I beg your pardon, my king. The man and woman in my company, they are..." The man looked back at Peter and Susan, silently asking what he should do.

Susan gave her brother a look that caused him to simply nod. "Go on, Sue. I can see I have already offended him. Perhaps you can talk some sense into this king?" He whispered.

It was Susan's turn to nod as she took a deep breath before going to stand next to Aragorn and before the king.

"My lord, I apologize for my brother's rather rude suggestion." She paused to look over at Aragorn, silently asking for help. The man gave her a small smile and a gentle pat on the back, telling her she was doing well, before she continued. "My brother and I...we are not of this world, my king."

The king wrinkled his forehead at Susan before coming to stand up from his throne. To her, it seemed like he understood what she was telling him but there was still a part of him that doubted it. "What you are saying is that you...?" Theodin's eyes went to Aragorn. "They are..."

"The ones that the prophecy spoke of, yes." The Ranger explained.

"It cannot be..." Theodin said, shock and awe dripping from his voice, before he sat back down and put his head in his hands.

Susan nodded to the king before going back to Peter, tugging his hand and him back with her to stand before the king of Rohan. "This is my brother, High King Peter of Narnia and I am Queen Susan. We have been sent here to help you, my lord. All of you that do not wish to live under the oppression of Sauron."

Theodin's eyes shot back up to stare at the two young royals. The look of shock turned into one of anger as he once again stood up. The king walked toward them coming to tower over Peter. "No, you have not come to help us. You have come to take control of our lands." He chuckled, as the two Pevensie's stared in confusion. "Do not think that part of the prophecy has not been brought to my attention. The kings of Rohan have been waiting for you for a long time."

"Theodin!" Susan jumped at the sound of Gandalf's voice behind her. "That is enough!"

The king's rage turned from the royals to the wizard. "Gandalf, why would you bring them here? Especially _him._" He pointed to Peter, causing Susan to wrap a soothing hand around her brother's arm to keep him in check.

"Because they will save us all from darkness." He explained. "Do not let your feelings get in the way of your people's needs and safety."

Theodin narrowed his eyes at Gandalf but nodded none the less. "Alright then." He spun back to look at Peter. "But do not think for one second that you have any say in what goes on within my jurisdiction."

Peter just nodded, not exactly sure how he should answer something like that. Never would he try to take over as king in Rohan; it was not his duty. So he could not understand what had gotten this king so frazzled; surely it could not be simply his suggestion or was that a possibility?

Susan was just as mystified by the king's outburst for Peter had done little wrong. All she did know was that something about their being in Middle Earth was unbearable to Theodin. The Gentle Queen took a step forward, away from her brother, and toward the king.

"My lord, have we done something to offend you? Forgive me for being so forward but we are still new to this world and are still learning of what we are meant to do here." Susan said in a kind voice that made those around her, including the king, feel at ease.

Theodin looked down at the small queen and sighed. He was about to say something in explanation when Gandalf stopped him.

"My queen, this is not the time nor place."

Susan's blue eyed glance turned back to the elderly wizard. She did not want to leave this conversation in the air like this but felt that he was right. They were here to discuss plans to keep the people of Rohan safe; this, whatever it was, could wait for a while longer.

"Of course, Gandalf. I am sorry." She smiled slightly before returned to stand next to her brother.

"So what is it that you wish to do, my king, if we are not going to ride out and meet our foes head on?" Aragorn asked, getting back on topic.

Susan did not know how he did it but the Ranger from the North had the ability to command a room into order. He did not care for chaos, Susan could tell, and knew just how to get rid of it.

Theodin looked around not only at the Fellowship members but also at his advisors, his niece, and finally at the small children who sat wide eyed at the table in the back of the room. He sighed and made his decision.

* * *

Susan was in the stables, readying her and Peter's horse for their trip to the city of Helm's Deep. The queen grabbed the saddle off of the ground rather roughly and placed it on the horse's back.

She turned her back for one second, grabbing another of straps needed, when she heard the sound of the saddle slipping from the horse. Susan spun, about to catch it, to only see that Legolas had already managed to grab it and begin securing it to the horse.

"Thank you." Susan said as she came to put the reins on the horse.

"Of course, my lady." He responded, speaking to her for the first time since they were alone the night before.

It seemed to the Gentle Queen that things between Legolas and herself became more strained and awkward since the night before. She was not exactly sure what happened between them and that was why she felt so uneasy with him near.

She finished securing the reins to the horse and began to pet his mane as Legolas finished with the saddle. A moment later, Susan could feel Legolas's gaze on her. She turned from the horse before her to see the elf standing a mere foot away from her. Blue eyes clashed with blue eyes and Susan could feel the same strange feeling that she had experienced last night.

"Is there something you needed, my lord?" She asked, as she continued to stroke the horse's mane.

Legolas's eyes dropped from Susan's to look at her hand that rested on the horse. Ever so slowly, she watched as his hand came up to cover her small one. They both stared at their touching hands for a moment, trying to understand what this would mean.

Shakily, Susan turned her hand around under Legolas's so they were now palm to palm. It was then that Legolas entwined their fingers and brought them away from the horse and to the space between their bodies.

"No, my lady." He whispered. "This is all I needed."

Susan felt a small blush appear across her face and a smile formed on her face.

So, she had developed feelings for Legolas; it was so obvious to her now that she felt quite foolish for not recognizing it before. But once this realization came to her, she broke into a cold sweat.

It was happening all over again. The signs were all there.

She was falling for a man that she could never have for, in time, she would be leaving this world and he would be staying. This could never be and, upon looking into Legolas's piercing blue eyes, he knew this all too well also.

"Hiding in Helm's Deep! Ha!" A sudden, furious voice appeared at the entrance to the stables.

Susan instantly dropped Legolas's hand and turned to see Gimili stomping over to his horse that he shared with the elf. He was followed in by Peter and Aragorn who both greeted Susan and Legolas, neither even questioning what they were doing in the stables together.

"Hiding when we should be fighting!" Gimili continued to mutter under his breath, completely unaware that Legolas and Susan were even in the stables with them.

"He is only doing what he believes to be best for his people." Aragorn interjected.

"He is being a coward." Peter added.

"Peter, how can you say such a thing?" Susan said, coming to stand in front of him. She crossed her arms over her chest to show just how much she disapproved of his statement.

"I am sorry, Sue, but I did not like the way he spoke to us in that meeting. Didn't you think that to be a bit rude of him?" Peter asked.

"Well, perhaps we just caught him off guard..." The girl trailed off due to the look her brother had given her. She sighed. "Oh, alright, he was not being very courteous but he is still to be given respect."

It was Peter's turn to sigh. "Yes, Susan. As always, you are correct."

Susan smiled and rubbed her brother's arm sympathetically. "At least you are used to it now, Peter."

Peter chuckled before going over to Gimili and Legolas to help in readying their horse. Susan glanced over their way only to catch Legolas's gaze; almost instantly, she looked away. It struck her, now, that she was now scared of the elf, after letting him hold her hand mere minutes before.

She had to get her wits about her or else she would be useless on this journey. So, Susan pushed all thoughts of Legolas out of her mind that very instant. Susan cleared her throat, readying herself to begin thinking of a new topic, when she saw Aragorn's retreating back leaving the stables and following a white robed man: Gandalf.

Without hesitation, Susan followed him to see what the wizard had to say about this whole mess they were all getting themselves into. She ran to catch up to the men and caught a few words from Gandalf's explanation to Aragorn.

"...At dawn on the third day, look for my coming in the east." He said with seriousness in his voice and eyes before jumping swiftly onto the back of his beautiful white horse.

"Wait!" Susan shouted as she came in front of the horse-Shadowfax, she believed his name was-and put her hand on his neck to keep him still. "You are leaving us?"

"My Queen, I ride to find aid." He explained.

"But..." She tried to think of a reason to protest his leaving but could not think of any for, in reality, he needed to go and find them some help. In all honesty, the only reason she questioned him was because they had just gotten Gandalf, their leader, returned to them; she didn't know what it would be like to have Theodin to follow with no Gandalf to keep the king in line. "But...you promised to tell me about the prophecy." Susan finally spat out.

"Susan, I shall be back in three day's time." Gandalf told her. "I will explain when this ordeal is over."

Susan pursed her lips, not at all happy, with his reply, but nodded her head anyway and moved from the horse's path to stand by Aragorn.

Gandalf looked down at the Gentle Queen, smiled, and nodded to her and the ranger before setting off into the early morning light. The two of them watched until the wizard was completely out of sight before Susan decided to speak. "He is never going to tell us more about the prophecy, will he?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

She heard Aragorn sigh before he came to stand in front of her. "Like he said, my lady, this is not the time. We are in great peril."

"So now must be as good as any considering we might not survive the next three days." She paused. "Am I correct, my lord?"

Aragorn shook his head at her as a father would to his young child before deciding to walk away; Susan grabbed his wrist before he could make it too far. The man stopped but did not turn to look at her.

"Peter is going to become king of these lands when all is said and done...am I right?" Susan voiced her suspicions that had been rattling through her mind since the night before. From what King Theodin had said to his actions toward Peter it was the only plausible reason why. "Aragorn, please..." She pleaded.

The ranger finally looked back at the gentle queen and slowly, but very surely, nodded.

Susan chuckled more in disbelief than from the actual humor of it; though she suspected it, never would Susan believe that the two of them were meant to stay in Middle Earth. She looked down at her hands. "And what is to become of me?"

She felt Aragorn place a hand gently on her shoulder, causing her to look up into his dark eyes, and see that whatever he was going to say was not positive. "Susan, there are things about your prophecy that you are not ready to face...that I am not ready to face yet."

Susan felt her eyes widen at finding out that not only did Aragorn have knowledge about her own personal prophecy but also learning that it involved him as well. The queen tilted her head at the man before her. "Do you mean to tell me that we...that you and I...our futures are intertwined?"

Aragorn took a deep breath before looking around, making sure no one was in hearing range, before taking a step closer to Susan and leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Susan, keep this between you and I...until after the battle, please."

It was Susan's turn to step away from the ranger. "Keep what between us, Aragorn? You have not told me anything."

The look of-was it fear?-in Aragorn's eyes scared Susan more than she could comprehend at that moment. For if Aragorn was unsettled by the prophecy then surely she should be too.

"Susan?" Peter called, causing Susan's gaze to break from Aragorn's. She looked over the man's shoulder to see her brother standing at the entrance to the barn with Legolas, Gimili, and their three horses. "It is time to leave, you two."

Susan gave Aragorn one more look, one more chance for him to explain what was going to happen, before walking over to Peter and mounting their horse.

* * *

Three hours had passes since the Fellowship, along with all the people of Edoras, had left the city in hopes of reaching Helm's Deep. Spirits, Susan was happy to see, were still pretty high among the people; they did not understand what this meant, they did not know that they could all very well die.

Susan walked with the horse, toward the back of the mob moving along the plains, alone with her thoughts. Up ahead, she could see her brother walking with Aragorn and Gimili. Of course, Gimili was riding on his horse because he was tired but he was there all the same.

Susan studied Aragorn's face-it looked as calm and somber as ever. What was so terrible that he felt the need to hide it from her? Was she going to die? Was something worse fated for her?

And then, there was Peter

The boy was smile and laughing with his newfound friends, fitting into this society with perfect ease. He was going to be staying in Middle Earth, ruling one of the nations of men, but Susan did not know what to think of it. And until she did know she would not mention it to Peter. Let him laugh and have no worries for a time, she could carry the burden of this knowledge by herself for a while longer.

"My queen?"

Susan snapped out of her thoughts to see a woman coming to walk next to her; it was Eoywn.

"Might I have a word with you?" The blonde woman asked the queen who must have been at least five years her junior.

Susan smiled back at her. "Of course."

From what she had seen, Eoywn was a kind woman who cared greatly for others; but, she was quiet so Susan was puzzled when she asked to speak with her.

"I know that I am probably being rude by asking but I just wanted to know how you do it? You are both a gentle queen and a warrior. How did you become so?" She asked the queen of Narnia.

Susan raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I am sorry but I do not think I understand what you mean."

Eoywn turned from Susan and looked out at the people, her people, before them. "I want to help them, to defend them...but...I am not allowed." She looked back at Susan with a small, sad smile on her face. "They will not let me fight because I am a woman. How did you convince them to allow you to?"

Susan nodded, feeling sympathy for this woman. Clearly things were different in Middle Earth than in Narnia for women were never banned from a battle simply because of their gender; everyone fought no matter who they were as long as they were able.

But Susan knew that this was not Narnia and women were not supposed to be involved in wars; she had experienced this first had with her encounter with the leader of the Riders of Rohan.

"Eoywn, the customs of my world are far different from the ones in yours. I am allowed to fight in Narnia. I have been trained to do so."

The woman's face fell before her. "So what you are saying is that you can fight...without complaint or protest?"

Susan simply nodded.

Eoywn suddenly came to a halt, grabbing Susan's wrist to cause her to stop as well. Susan glanced over at the woman to see a slight panic in her eyes. "I can fight; I want to fight. I want to help."

Susan took a deep breath, looking away from the woman and toward all of those from Edoras along with the king, her uncle. "Eoywn, I think you are so brave for wanting to fight in the name of your country and your people. I have so much respect for that but...there are other ways of serving them in this time of need."

The woman's face fell even more than it had originally. Susan crushed her dreams and the queen knew it. But this woman was a lady of the court and she should adhere to the rules of her king. It was not what she would do personally, Susan knew, but who was she to tell Eoywn to disregard everything that she was told to do? The queen did not want to be responsible for something such as that.

"What are you suggesting, then, my queen?" The woman asked Susan.

Susan was just about to answer when she heard cries ring out from the around the plain. Her eyes darted around to find the a man, bloodied and terrified, riding toward the slow moving group. "They are attacking!"

That was all that needed to be said for these people to go into a complete panic. Woman and children began running and screaming in every direction as the men prepared themselves for the battle that was inevitably in their near future.

Susan instantly climbed onto the back of her horse and took her bow from her back. "Take care of your people, Eoywn. By leading them to safety."

With a small smile to the woman, Susan rode off toward the men, stopping next to Peter who was now mounted on the horse with Gimili. The three just exchanged glances, none really knowing what to say or what to do, before simply leading their horses to the front of the lines.

Susan's horse came to rest for a moment next to Aragorn's. The man looked at her for a moment, almost in the same fashion that Peter did, before looking away again towards the area the scout had just returned from.

The queen knew he was not only concentrating on the attacking enemies but also on avoiding her gaze, perhaps even her completely. Uncertainty surrounded Susan at that moment: uncertainty mostly about whether they would even make it to Helm's Deep and what would happen when they arrived.

But that was not the here and that was not the now. As Aragorn was doing, Susan would too by concentrating on the battle that lay ahead of them. For this was all that her mind could process at the moment. All thoughts of Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and utterly frustrating prophecies left her mind as she squinted into the sun and the distance. From far off, she could see the outline of creatures coming towards their group. Susan's heart quicken.

King Theodin came in front of their line and looked at all of his warriors in turn. He nodded in reassurance. "Men of Rohan! Charge!" He screamed before every single one of them took off, about to be lost in the fray.

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**I really hope you enjoyed it! Please tell me what you think and thanks for reading! **


	17. Only Through The Pain

**Disclaimer- I do not own LotR or Narnia. Sorry! **

**Okay, guys, new update! Thanks to the crazy blizzard that tore through the Midwest I had three snowdays and PLENTY of time to write...needless to say I was pretty excited. So here it is! I hope you enjoy!**

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Susan snapped the reins and gently pressed her heels into the sides of her horse, attempting to get the beast in motion. Almost instantly, the horse sprang into action, running as fast as it could in the direction from which the orcs were arriving.

The queen kept up with Aragorn and Peter, staying with the front lines, and before long they came upon Legolas who stood on the top of a hill that led to the valley where they were to meet their enemy, keeping them at bay until the men were ready to fight.

The elf spun to see the warriors riding towards him. As Susan came his way, the man held his arm out, took hold of the horse's reins, and swung himself gracefully onto it's back behind Susan. The queen was quite impressed with the display but did not think on it very long for they were coming closer and closer to the orcs.

Their enemies were not on horseback, however. No, they were riding creatures that appeared just as evil as their riders were; it was almost like the orcs were riding large wolf-like monsters.

"What are those things that they are riding?" Susan asked, hearing Legolas notch an arrow and pull the string back in his bow tightly behind her.

"Wargs." He explained, not sounding the least bit happy about them.

Of course, this did not answer Susan's question exactly for she did not know what a warg was but she did not have time to debate this further; the orcs were only several yards away at this point.

"Are you ready, my queen?" She heard Legolas question as his torso swiveled to the side, trying to get a clear shot at the orc coming straight toward them.

She chuckled. "Of course." She sighed as the orc was now mere feet away. "And so it begins."

The next instant, Legolas's arrow zoomed past Susan's ear and lodged it's self in the orc's heart. The creature fell down dead but the warg that it was riding kept coming at them. It was about to clash with Susan and Legolas but the queen managed to veer the horse off track and start riding in a different direction, parallel to the orcs.

Legolas swiveled again, shooting off arrow after arrow as Susan steered.

The queen really wanted to know where Peter was and how he was fairing but she could not look for him; if she did then she would more than likely lose control of their steed.

"Susan!" The queen heard Legolas shout her name from behind.

Her head shot over to see what he needed only in time to see one of the large warg's running full speed into their horse, knocking it and them over in the process.

Susan fell to the hard earth, all of the breath leaving her lungs upon impact. She took a few deep huffs of air before finding the will to stand and look at the scene around her.

Men and orcs were locked in sword fights every where her eyes landed. Screams erupted from those men dying and growls of anger accompanied them. It registered to her that the men of Rohan were loosing against their foes; she saw so many of them, dressed in green velvet and armor, laying in pools of blood across the valley.

There were just too many of their enemies.

"Are you alright!" She heard Legolas ask, coming up to her, and notching another arrow in the process.

Susan quickly nodded before she took out her bow and arrows also. She sighed as she pulled the string back tightly. "Good luck." She wished to Legolas before running off into the fray, firing arrows as she went.

The queen vaguely heard the elf calling out to her, as if asking why she was going off into the battle by herself, but she did not turn nor stop. Susan wanted this to end. So many were already lost and she wanted to prevent more blood from being spilled.

Susan shot arrow after arrow, never once reaching back to find no more in her quiver, as she took down opponent after opponent. Every so often she allowed her gaze to stray from the wave of orcs coming toward her to see if she could catch a glimpse of Peter or Gimili or Aragorn but none were to be seen; it had been only been ten minutes since she had seen them but it felt like an eternity.

A roaring sound came to Susan's ears, causing her to turn, and see an orc coming straight for her with his sword raised above his head. The queen did not have time to notch an arrow; instead, she took her bow and swung the bottom edge of it right into the creature's chin, forcing his entire head to shoot up and his body to fall.

The queen took her sword from it's sheath and quickly thrust it into the creature's abdomen. It cried out once before falling silently at her feet. The girl put the sword back in it's holder before taking another arrow from her back and beginning to fire her bow once more.

She was not sure how long she shot at the army of orcs before they finally retreated but it was enough time for her to rack up over thirty of them in her body count for the game that Gimili and Legolas had roped her into playing with them.

She sighed, letting her adrenaline leave her, as she looked out at the mayhem that was still occurring despite the absent of the orcs. Cries of the injured and dying filled the valley as those left standing searched for their family members and gave aid to those who needed it.

"Help me." A voice, barely above a whisper, called out to Susan.

The girl spun around to see a man laying on the his back, blood dripping from his mouth, and a large laceration across his stomach. Susan ran to the man and knelt down beside him to examine the wound better: it was large and deep, too deep for him to be able to survive it.

Susan smiled down at the man as she tried to keep the tears that were beginning to fill her eyes at bay. "It is alright. You shall be alright." She reassured him as she took the hem of her dress and ripped a part of it off. She took the piece of cloth and pressed it tightly to the man's wound, causing him to hiss in pain.

He coughed up more blood.

"You are her. The one King Theodin told us of...from the prophecy." The man said in a hoarse voice.

"I am, yes." Susan responded, her eyes darting around in search of someone to help her. Where were Legolas and Aragorn and Peter?

"Then I die knowing that my children will live to know a better world...because of you." He told her.

Susan's eyes went back to the man's and she smiled again. One of her hands left the top of his wound so she could take his that lay limp beside him. "You will not die. You shall live to fight for this world with us."

The man smiled before coughing up even more blood; she heard him let out a laugh. "We both know my days are numbered, great queen. But it is alright for I know that my death held purpose...to aid you in helping everyone else." One more cough and hiss of pain came from the man before he went still with his eyes wide and staring. His hand fell from Susan's grasp and she knew he was gone.

A few tears rolled down Susan's face as she reached over to close the man's eyes. "Be at peace." She whispered to the air.

This man was a father, and a husband too, and all he wanted was for his children to be able to live in a world without oppression...to live with freedoms. It was hard for Susan to be able to look down at him and know that he had never known that but he still died in hopes of it. This man was a hero in her eyes and she prayed to Aslan to be with him and his family for the rest of days.

"Aragorn!"

Susan stood, turning away from the body, and searched for the man who called for the ranger: it was Legolas.

"Aragorn!" He called again, walking speedily through the valley.

As she watched his frantic search, Susan's heart sunk.

Aragorn was missing and Peter...he had not yet come to find her. In every other battle they have ever faced in their lives Peter was there, mere seconds after it ended, making sure that his sister was alright...but he was not with her now. He was nowhere in sight.

Susan instantly broke into a run. "Peter!" She yelled as she searched. "Peter!"

At the sound of her voice, Legolas turned to her and ran her way. He made it to her, Gimili right on his heels.

"Where are they?" She asked the dwarf.

"I-I don't know, my lady." He asked, a frightened tone breaking into his own voice.

"How can you not know, Gimili? They were with you!" She yelled at him, completely terrified now. She took a deep breath before running a hand through her hair. "Peter!" She screamed again. Where could they be?

From behind her, she heard a weak laugh break forth. The queen spun around to see an injured orc sitting against a rock; it continued to laugh as it's gaze met hers.

Susan, without hesitation, ran over to the orc and pointed her bow in it's face. "What do you think you are laughing at, beast?"

The thing continued to laugh as Legolas and Gimili came to stand at her flanks. Susan pulled the string in her bow tighter back as it continued to mock her. From next to her, Susan saw a flash of a man coming to grab the orc's armor and pull it up to eye level. Legolas glared down at the thing in a way Susan did not think he capable of before.

"You have seen our friends? Where are they!" He asked in a voice that was laced with venom.

The orc laughed again before coughing, as with the dead man, he too had blood flowing down his mouth. "They took a little tumble off the cliff." He said in an almost gleeful tone as he nodded his head back toward the amazing drop off behind him.

Susan's heart stopped then for she had forgotten how to breath, she had forgotten how to do anything; her mind was filled with nothing but her big brother.

The queen heard Legolas shake the creature again. "You are lying." He spat.

The orc laughed once more before his breath left him for the last time. Legolas pushed the thing back to the ground and stood up; but, just as he was about to turn away his eye caught a glimmer coming from the orc's hand. He looked down to see the gleaming token that Arwen had gifted to Aragorn...the necklace that Aragorn never took off.

Susan watched as Legolas went to the edge of the cliff and look down; it was then that she remembered to breath and move. He feet carried her over to the cliff's edge and she gazed down at the the river running at least a hundred feet below them.

And there was no one in sight.

"They're dead, aren't they?" Susan whispered out, her breath coming shallow in her lungs. She turned to Legolas just as he looked at her, also. Blue eyes clashed and without him needing to say a word she knew what he was think.

Peter and Aragorn were dead.

Susan shook her head several times before sobs and tears took over. The queen collapsed into the elf's chest as she wept for her fallen brother. "No, no, no." She sobbed.

Peter had always been there. The queen had a flash of a memory come to her, remembering how her mother said that even when she was a baby, Peter was there, watching over in the night. He even slept in the nursery with her for six months before their mother convinced him to go back to his room.

Peter has always been there for Susan and now he would never be there for anyone again.

Susan felt Legolas's arms wrap around her waist as he allowed her to cry uncontrollably against him; she could not even hold her own body weight now.

Peter was dead. "No, he cannot be..." She sobbed again.

"I am so sorry, Susan." She heard Legolas whisper.

Peter was dead and she was alone in this world.

"I am sorry, my queen. But we must move out." A new voice, the voice of Theodin, interrupted.

"Oh, let her have a moment!" Gimili shouted in protest.

"Do you really believe the orcs will let us have a moment to grieve? We have lost some of our best men here and we need to regroup before the whole army comes to attack." Theodin responded logically.

Susan knew he was right. Despite how much she wished to never move again she knew that they must reach Helm's Deep and prepare for what was to come. Peter would not wish them to stay here like sitting ducks, neither would Aragorn.

Susan took a few deep breaths before removing herself from Legolas's arms. She wiped the tears from her eyes before looking at the king. "Of course, we must get to Helm's Deep."

She began walking away from the three men, not daring to look any of them in the eye for she did not want to see their looks of sympathy and pity.

"Leave the dead!" She heard Theodin call out to all.

Her step faulted for a moment as that statement registered in her mind, the word 'dead' causing her heart to skip a beat, before she was able to get her bearings once more and continue on. The queen took another deep breath as she found the horse she had shared with Legolas and began walking past all of the men and in the direction of Helm's Deep.

Little did she know that when she was so busy dodging their glances and stares, the men of Rohan were envious of how strong this woman could be in the face of death.

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Helm's Deep was a city carved out of the side of a mountain; upon arriving inside the city walls Susan realized that it was constructed to be fortress. It would hold their enemies at bay... but not forever.

The remaining army men, along with Legolas, Gimili, and Susan, rode into the city, just in time to see the preparations being made for the attack. They had not been there five seconds before Eoywn ran up with a smile on her face; she was excited to see her uncle alive.

But as she surveyed the rest of the men surrounding her uncle, her face fell. "So few...So few of you have returned." She spoke gravely.

"We won the day but paid for it with many lives." Theodin spoke as Susan dismounted her horse and started walking away, not knowing exactly where she was going, but wanting to get away from the talk of death.

She made it several steps before she was stopped by a hand on her arm: it was Eoywn. Susan kept her eyes directed away from her; she didn't trust herself right now.

"My queen, where is Lord Aragorn?" She asked shakily. Susan believed that Eoywn did not truly wish to know the answer to her question but felt the need to ask it anyway.

The younger girl looked back at Eoywn, shaking her head all the while. "He fell...along with my brother." She explained, earning a gasp from the woman of Rohan, before turning around and heading toward the incline.

Susan kept walking in a daze. She tried with all her might to keep her mind off of Peter but it was so indescribably impossible. The queen could not help but wonder what happened to them in their world if the died in this one. Could it be possible that Peter was just sent back to Earth or perhaps even Narnia? Or was it as she feared...that he was gone for good, never to return.

The queen hoped he was still alive somewhere but doubted it...it would not be logical. Susan came to rest at the top of the fortress where everything could be seen for miles and miles. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon and this day was ending only to give way to more death and destruction.

Susan leaned against the wall's edge as she tried to quiet her mind; she closed her eyes and began to pray to the Great Lion.

_Aslan, help me. _She thought. _I do not know how I am to go on when my brother is lost. What is the purpose, Aslan? What is to happen to me? What is happening to Lucy and Edmund. Please, give me guidance. _

Susan could feel a presence next to her. She knew it was not Alsan, no. It was someone entirely different whom she really did not wish to speak to at this time...he was going to pity her and she did not want nor need it.

The queen opened her eyes to see Legolas standing there, staring at her with deep blue eyes.

Susan glanced his way before turning back to look at the setting sun. "Spare me your sympathies. I do not want to hear them."

"Susan-" He started, only to have his words cut off by a glare.

No longer was Susan a Gentle Queen...she was now a woman grieving for the lose of her brother.

"Just go away." She whispered, looking away once more.

She heard the elf take a deep breath before taking a step closer to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. The queen shivered before stepping out of his reach as if it had burned her. "Legolas, I said go!" Several tears broke through the barrier she only an hour ago put around herself. She felt ashamed. "Can you not see that I do not want you here? My brother is dead, gone, and I need to be alone. I cannot have you here trying to comfort me because it hurts more! Please, just leave me!"

She was now sobbing.

From beside her, Legolas pursed his lips, feeling helpless, and tried once more to reach out and comfort her. Just as his hand was about to make contact with Susan's shoulder again, the queen stepped away from him, turned, and ran back down the stairs they had taken to reach their high perch. She passed Gimili as she went.

Legolas was just about to run after her when the dwarf caught his arm, forcing his blue eyes to look down at him in fury. "Leave her be, lad. She needs to do this by herself."

Legolas's eyes left Gimili to watch as Susan raced away from not only her two friends but the grief that she would not allow herself to fully feel.

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Peter felt water rushing past his ankles to drench his already soaked knees once again. His eyes were closed and he was finding it hard to open them as if a large weight were pressed firmly there.

What had happened?

From somewhere behind him, Peter could hear the sounds of a man groaning, attempting to move. With all of his might, the king managed to pry his eyes open, only to reveal how intensely dizzy it caused him to become. The boy put his hand on his head, as if in some way this would force the spinning scenery to stop, and closed his eyes again before sitting up.

A moment passed before he was feeling normal once more. Peter opened his eyes, that were not feeling as heavy as they had before, and squinted into the bright afternoon.

He was on a stony beach which seemed to reside at the bottom of a steep canyon-tall cliffs surrounded him.

Peter shifted slightly-finding that he was incredibly sore-to see what lay behind him.

"Aragorn?" Peter asked as he scooted closer to the man, laying face down on the shore. The king twisted the man around so he was positioned on his back; the next instant Aragorn began to cough.

Peter sat back, relieved to see his companion was alive and conscious. He now waited for the man to fully wake. The King of Narnia's eyes scanned the beach, looking for a way to escape the shore, when, in the distance, he saw the outline of a horse slowly coming towards them.

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Susan was in the great hall-the heart of Helm's deep. She was recruited, by Eoywn, to help in gathering food and other supplies for the women and children to take with them into the caves, to where they would be staying for the duration of the battle.

The Gentle Queen lifted a woven basket, full to the brim with vegetables, and hulled it over to the entrance of the caves where a man was waiting to take them down with the other provisions. From behind her, the sound of the large doors opening flowed through the room but she took no notice for they had been slamming open and close all day as the people rushed to ready themselves for what was to come.

She smiled slightly to the man as she handed over her basket and turned around, about ready to go back and retrieve yet another heap of food. The queen's gaze slide over to the entrance of the great hall, only to see two men standing there, before she directed her gaze back in the direction she was headed.

It was then that Susan realized everything and everyone had gone silent in the hall; none were to be found moving nor talking. The girl looked around, trying to find the source of the people's trance, only for her eyes to come back to the two men in the door way.

She stared at the pair for a moment until it registered in her mind that she knew these men; she knew them quite well.

Without a second of hesitation, Susan ran at full speed toward the two, throwing herself into the arms of the younger man.

Peter stumbled back a step from the force of his sister's embrace and winced slightly in pain; the fall had caused both he and Aragorn to sustain some bruising.

"Good Aslan, Sue! That hurt."

"Shut up." She responded before pulling her brother tighter to her. Peter was alive. He was here with her, which meant that she was not alone. _Thank you, Aslan. _

Susan finally let go, pulling her brother out to arm's length to examine him. The boy's face was cut up and one of his eyes were swollen but, from what it seemed to Susan, he had not been gravely injured.

Once this thought came to fully register in her mind, the Gentle Queen felt a sudden rush of anger consume her. Without thinking, Susan pulled her hand back and smacked her brother in the arm. "Peter Pevensie, if you ever scare me like that again I will kill you myself! Do you understand!"

Peter smiled, chuckling at the same time. "Yes, Susan. I understand."

Susan nodded sternly but could not hide the smile that was beginning to spread across her face. It was then that her eyes met Aragorn's and she smiled wider as she pulled him into a gentle hug. "Same goes for you, Aragorn."

She pulled back to see a slight smile appear on his face, as well. "I would not dare challenge your threat, Susan."

It was Susan's turn to chuckle. "Good."

The next second, Aragorn's gaze left her to stare at a spot above her head. The Gentle Queen turned to see Legolas standing there, a look of utter disbelief playing across his face.

Susan stepped to the side, next to Peter and wrapping her arm around his, to make room for the elf to greet the friend he thought he had lost.

Legolas walked over to the three, very calmly, before coming to stand before Aragorn. The elf simply stared at the man for a moment, as if internally debating if he was truly alive or not, before holding his hand out to the man. "You are late." He explained, a ghost of a smile appearing on his features.

Susan smiled at the comment.

It was true that both Peter and Aragorn were late but it didn't matter. Right in this moment, not even the battle mattered to the Gentle Queen. What did matter was that she had not lost her brother and they were all safe for at least a while longer. Susan knew that she could not hold onto this way of thinking for long; but, she would allow herself just one moment.

One moment in which life and reunion were celebrated and death and destruction were not even thought of.

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**I hope you liked it! Leave me a review if you'd like. Thank you so much for reading! Until next time! **


	18. Unclear Skies

Disclaimer-I do not own LotR or Narnia.

**So sorry for the long wait! Lots going on including some illness (which really isn't anything new for me, I am always sick) but here is the update where we finally find something out about the prophecy business! I hope you enjoy it! **

**P.S. This chapter is dedicated to Amelia Baggins...Sorry I could not have it up in time for your birthday! **

**Here we go!**

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Susan was standing outside of the Keep, watching as men walked by, gathering their armor and weapons. Men? That was not the correct word for those who were before her: most were boys, the others elderly. A great deal of the military men had been killed during the attack on their way to Helm's Deep...these men were just what were left over.

"What do you think, my lady?" King Theodin asked, coming to stand before her with Aragorn and Legolas at his flanks.

Susan looked up at the King and took a deep breath. "I am not sure you would like to hear what I think, my lord. I would hate to insult your judgment."

Her glance caught Aragorn shaking his head in her direction; he knew that Theodin should not be discussing this with Queen Susan.

Theodin, surprisingly, did not acknowledge the queen's comment. Susan believed it was due to his also knowing this army was a farce. "My niece will be taking charge of the woman and children down in the caves." He stated.

Susan looked from Legolas to Aragorn, knowing now why they were here with the king: they had been trying to stop him from what he was about to do. Susan smiled. "That is a noble position, my lord. I am sure she is quite honored."

"Yes, I am sure she is...It is a position I wish you to take as well, if you accept the task, my queen." He said, sounding as if he knew how she would respond—his instincts were wrong.

"I appreciate the offer but I must decline, my king. My place is fighting beside my brother and the rest of my companions." Susan said as gracefully as she could.

The thought of being in the caves, waiting, as this army full of misfits fought a battle they could not possibly win was torture. It was a waste for him to ask her; but, she was sure he would argue more.

"I beg your pardon, my queen, but you do not know the customs of our world. Woman do not fight in wars." King Theodin explained, causing Susan to loose her nerve.

"I beg _your _pardon, my king, but this woman will." Susan shot back, straightening her spine in protest at the same time.

King Theodin laid his eyes on her and rest his gaze for a moment: an attempt to stare her into submission. Of course, this did not work. Susan was a stubborn woman and would not yield for anyone, even her commanding king.

Susan returned his burning gaze with an equal amount of intimidation. Finally, a voice broke the silence.

"My lord, I would advise you to allow my sister fight...she is fierce in battle and you will want her bow when the time comes." Susan broke eye contact to see her brother standing there, a boy about the age of thirteen stood beside him.

She smiled slightly before turning back to look at King Theodin, his face masked in anger. With Susan completely forgotten, Theodin took a step towards Peter and snarled. "You do not advise me, _child_."

With those words, the king turned and stormed down a nearby case of stone stairs.

"Well, that was well handled ." Peter said once the king disappeared around a corner.

Susan could not help but chuckle for a slight second. Nothing about this situation was humorous but leave it up to Peter to find something to laugh at in the hours before a battle.

"Is there any particular reason why he hates me so?" Peter asked, his attention back on the group.

Aragorn and Susan exchanged a glance, both frowning. It was then that Susan remembered what the man had shared with her before they left Edoras for Helm's Deep, what he was still keeping from her.

Aragorn knew what she was thinking as well and what she was going to do next. Though it was true that they all had a lot to discuss this was not the time. As inconspicuously as he could, the man shook his head, silently telling her to leave the matter be for now.

Susan nodded before turning back to her brother. "Well, my dear brother, I hate to tell you this but you are kind of a know-it-all, some people do not take that as lightly as I do." The girl winked as a smile appeared on her face.

Peter laughed before introducing them to the boy by his side. His name was Aldimir and the king was teaching him to handle a sword. The poor boy looked scared to death and honestly Susan could not blame him; his father had died in the battle earlier that day.

"We best be off to continue with practice. I shall see you all later." Peter said before clapping the boy on the back and ushering him down the stairs. Susan understood why Peter had taken this boy under his wing, it was not hard to guess that he reminded the king of Edmund. Once, a great while ago, Peter had taught Edmund to fight with a sword in order to protect himself from the White Witch...he was simply trying to feel like a big brother to the boy.

"Look at them." Legolas said, eying the men around the three companions that remained. "Some have seen too many winters."

"Or too few." Susan added, thinking of the boy with her brother. "They must be so scared."

"They should be." Legolas said, his tone angered.

"Legolas..." Susan warned. It is thinking like that that will only aid in their failure. Her gaze turned to Aragorn then to see the same look of frustration that she was feeling on his face. Several of the men that were gathering their necessities for war were now staring in their direction.

"I am sorry, my queen, but it is true. Three hundred swords...against ten thousand." Legolas's eyes went from Susan to Aragorn. The elf began to speak in his native language to the ranger, leaving Susan confused as to the exchange.

The next moment Aragorn shook his head and began walking away. With one last exasperated breath, Legolas stepped forward and shouted something at the man's back in the elvish language.

Just as quickly, Susan saw Aragorn spin back around, eyes blazing in rage. "Then I shall die as one of them!"

The entire area went quiet as the already frightened men listened to the exchange.

Aragorn looked around at the men he was trying to set an example for before shaking his head once more at Legolas and storming off in the opposite direction, into the keep.

Legolas was just about to follow Aragorn when Susan put a hand to his chest to stop him. "Leave him be. Obviously he does not want to hear anymore of your negativity and doubts."

Legolas's blue eyes shot from Aragorn's retreating back to the queen that stood before him. He looked into her own eyes for a short moment before wrapping a hand around the one Susan had placed on his chest.

Susan immediately averted her gaze, a sudden spark rushed through her fingertips but she could not let go, he would not let her. This was wrong, she thought to herself, because they could never be together. She tried to move her hand but his grip was too tight.

"Susan," The sound of his voice speaking her name forced her to look up again. "Please go down to the caves with the women and children...this battle will end in nothing more than agony and death and I do not want you to take part in any of it...I will not be able to focus knowing that you are in harm's way."

The queen stared up at the elf for a moment, thinking over what she would say to him. She did not wish to hurt him but they both knew that her answer would not be the one he wanted to hear. "You have to understand that I cannot leave Peter...not after thinking I had lost him for good."

Legolas dropped her hand instantly and began to stare at a spot above her head. It was only too clear for Susan to see that she had upset him, something she would never have intended. For despite how illogical their feelings were, they still felt them.

"Legolas, please-"

He looked down at her, the hard shell that only a moment ago had been melted away returned to his face. "You do not have to further explain anything to me, my queen." He paused. "I will just have to endure it."

The ghost of a smile that was all too familiar to Susan appeared on his face once more before he walked down the flight of stairs and away from the queen.

Susan sighed, thinking just how horrible everything was going and how unfocused everyone seemed. Aragorn was upset with Legolas and Legolas was upset with her; no one was concentrated on the looming battle.

Knowing that she would not make any headway with Legolas, Susan headed into the keep and followed the maze of halls that led to the room she knew Aragorn was occupying.

She stopped just outside the door and knocked. From within she could hear Aragorn call out to enter and so she did.

The queen entered the bed chamber, that doubled as a sitting area in one small corner,and glanced around until her eyes met Aragorn's back. He was putting his chain mail on as he gazed out the window and down at the city below.

"What do you need, Susan?" Aragorn sighed, not needing to turn around to know who had come after him.

Susan took another step into the room. "I just came to see how you were...Legolas feels terrible for his outburst, I am sure of it."

Aragorn turned around, looking at her straight on now, and shook his head. "I do not want him to regret what he said to me, Susan. I want him to believe what he said to be false."

It was Susan's turn to sigh. "He is a realist, Aragorn...and the odds are against us."

Aragorn's eyes blazed as more doubts were spoken. He took an angry step towards the queen. "And you? You are a realist. What do you think will become of us? We will all die?"

Susan thought on the man's words for a moment. She knew what she would have said if she were still back in London and faced with this sort of situation: that it would be impossible to prevail. But here? In an enchanted land that Aslan himself sent her to? What did she believe would happen? "In all of my years as a queen and as a warrior fighting battles with my brothers, I find that...the impossible has a way of making it's self possible."

Aragorn stared at her but only nodded in the end before turning around to stare down at the preparations for the battle once more.

Susan went over to him and gently pat his shoulder. "Forgive Legolas. He did not mean to offend." She smiled over at the man before turning around and walking towards the door.

"You care for him...don't you, Susan?" Aragorn asked, stopping her right before she could grip the door handle.

She spun, caught off guard, to see that Aragorn was not even looking her way when he questioned her. The queen's back stiffened. "Well, I-I...I might..I hope not..."

"I hope not too...for all of our sakes." She heard the man say, barely above a whisper.

Susan took a deep, forced breath. Why would he say such a thing? Suddenly, the queen became angered. In five steps she closed the gap between her and the balcony. Roughly, she grabbed hold of Aragorn's shoulder and spun him to look at her.

"What do you know? Aragorn, tell me what you know about the prophecy. It involves you and I, correct? Well then, are we both to die? Is that why I should not care for anyone?"

She went silent only long enough for Aragorn to shake his head, indicating no. "Then what, Aragorn? Please, I have to know. Do you not understand that this wondering and worrying is enough to drive a person mad? I have been patient, Aragorn, I really have. Now I need you to tell me what I need to know."

Aragorn looked down into the queen's blue eyes, wondering just how he was going to put into words what he had to say. He did not want to have to be the one to tell her this but she was correct in saying that she needed to know. Why had he been putting it off so long since he had figured it out in Lorien? It was because it was something that would ruin her life and his.

"My queen...the prophecy tells of you and your brother coming to Middle Earth to save us from the power of the Ring...but, your tale does not end there." He paused. "King Theoden hates your brother so because he will die before the end and Peter will become king of his lands."

"Why?" Susan asked.

He shook his head and directed his gaze down towards his feet. "I do not know why, just that it is to be." Another pause. "And you...you are..." Aragorn looked back up at her. The words were so difficult to speak. "You are to be my queen and rule Gondor by my side."

Susan momentarily forgot how to breathe. Out of all of the possibilities this one did not come to her thoughts because it just seemed too..impossible. But then again, what had she just said moments ago? That the things that seem so unlikely have a way of becoming reality.

"But-but what about Arwin?"

It was the only thing she could thing of saying. Though Aragorn had never said it she knew that he loved the elf; She had known since their time in Rivendell. Her question caused him to look away.

"It was never to work between us." He stated flatly.

"But you love her!" Susan fought back.

Aragorn sighed and took a step toward the queen. "Susan-"

"No, this is not far, Aragorn. We both realize that." She took a deep breath and stepped away from him. The queen ran a hand through her dark brown hair, looking flustered to Aragorn for the first time in his recollection.

"I understand that this is difficult to handle and that is why I did not want to tell you until this was all over...Gandalf would have been much better at explaining this to you..." He explained.

Susan stopped pacing and looked back at him. "What if we did not do this? What if we did not listen to the prophecy?"

He stared at her for a moment. To Susan, Aragorn looked as if he wanted to come closer, to comfort her but did not feel comfortable doing so. Instead, he stayed where he was and spoke. "I will not force you to do anything that you do not want to do, Susan, but...if we do not follow the prophecy it states that Gondor will fall to ruin and ash along with it's people."

Susan let out the breath she did not realize she was holding and nodded, unable to truly think. "Then it seems we have no choice." She smiled slightly and straightened her spine again, feeling defeat wash over her.

She did not know what to think just then...she could not even process what was happening. All she knew was that she had to get out of the chamber because if felt as if the walls were closing in on her, suffocating her.

The queen spun and walked toward the door, just as she was about to exit she stopped and sent a side-long glance toward Aragorn. "Does Legolas know about this?"

He did not answer, just nodded.

One tear fell from her eye before she opened to door and ran down the hall in hopes of finding sanctuary from her thoughts.

* * *

She was on the archery field in the bottom corner of Helm's Deep-hiding.

Susan lifted her bow to release another arrow.

She must marry Aragorn. Or watch as the people of his kingdom suffer, fall, and, inevitably die.

The queen hated this. It was true that she cared for Aragorn but it was mere friendship, not love. Could she marry without love? She was not sure of it...

What was she saying?

Susan already knew what she was going to do.

From behind, she heard the sound of footsteps crunching against the earth and she had to close her eyes to keep her wits together. How was it that he always had a way of finding her when she wanted to be alone? Her bow dropped to her side as she turned to see Legolas standing there.

He smiled ever so slightly. "I have already apologized to Aragorn for my rudeness and doubts...I believe it is time that I do the same with you."

Susan just stared at him, not even acknowledging what he had said. After a moment, Legolas realized that something was wrong and came to stand closer. "What is the matter?"

The queen just shook her head in bewilderment. "You knew the entire time," she stated, referring to the prophecy but not being able to fully say what she meant.

The elf's eye brows furrowed in confusing. "I do not understand-"

"You knew about the prophecy yet you did not tell me and...allowed whatever it is that is going on between us to continue on!" She spat in his direction.

Legolas's electric blue eyes widened. "He told you?"

"Yes, he did." She stated simply before shaking her head. "How could you, Legolas? How could you allow our...relationship to go on like this? Here I am debating the depth of my feelings for you like a bloody idiot when in reality nothing is and ever could happen!"

She placed her bow back in it's holder on her back and stomped past the elf, too enraged to even wait for a response.

"You have feelings for me?" Legolas asked from behind her, causing the queen to become more angered. Was it not obvious?

She spun to him and pointed her finger at him dangerously. "_Had. _And that is not even the point, Legolas! The fact of the matter is that you-"

In three steps the elf closed the space between them, placed his hands on either side of Susan's face, and crashed his lips down upon hers. Susan was too stunned to respond for a second. But, before long, her eyes closed and she returned the kiss.

The spark that had been there the first time she had caught his eyes, the first time they had danced, and every other time they had been together since had exploded. She loved him and she knew it.

But...it was not to be.

The next instant, Susan's eyes flashed open and she pushed the elf away from her. She took a deep breath before reaching her hand up and slapping him across the face.

Legolas's face flew to the side and his pale check bared a faint red mark from the blow. "I am sorry, my queen. I should not have done that."

Hot tears filled Susan's eyes and she nodded her head furiously. "You are right, you shouldn't have, considering I am betrothed to your friend and leader." With those words she turned and began to walk away.

"You mean to marry him, then!" Legolas yelled at her retreating back.

The queen spun. "Of course, I do! Despite my feeling or his, or yours for that matter, I will not be responsible for the downfall of an entire nation. I won't be selfish about this, Legolas!"

The elf just stood there for a moment, allowing the information to flow through him. Then he simply nodded.

Susan did the same before turning back around and racing off into the growing darkness.

* * *

Susan was racing through the crowd men, all waiting for the battle to start, on her way to find Peter. The footsteps of their enemies were growing louder as the hour drew late. It was only moments ago when Haldir and his army of elves came to their aid and now everyone was forming lines along the outer wall of Helm's Deep with no rest to be had.

"Peter!" Susan called.

"Susan!" She heard her brother's reply, sounding confused. The queen craned her neck to be able to see her brother, his hand was waving over his head madly as he tried to flag her.

The queen pushed through the men until she came to her brother, packed between Aragorn and the boy from earlier.

"Sue, what are you doing here? Why aren't you with the archers?" He asked.

Susan did not answer, she just wrapped her arms around her brother's shoulders, pulling him into one of her bone crushing hugs. The two Pevensie's had not seen each other since Peter had left her with Aragorn and Legolas outside the keep. She could not go into battle without seeing him first. Besides, she needs that sense of comfort that only her brother could give her.

"Good luck, Peter." Susan said.

The elder sibling chuckled. "Good luck, Susan."

Susan let go over her brother and looked over at Aragorn standing behind him. The feelings of awkwardness and strangeness were still raw but that did not mean she did not still care for Aragorn. She hesitated for only a second before pulling the man in for a quick hug. "Good luck." She said quickly before backing away again.

"The same to you, Susan." He replied as if nothing had changed between them.

Susan nodded before turning to the boy, Aldimir, and smiling at him. "Watch my brother, will you?"

The boy chuckled. "Yes, my queen."

Susan smiled and nodded yet again. She looked at Peter once more and waved before dashing into the crowd once more. A few minutes later she found herself on a different section of the wall with the archers. She pushed herself forward until she was standing between Haldir and Gimili.

"Oy, Las! What is going on out there?" Gimili asked. "The elf will not tell me."

She looked over to see Legolas standing on Gimili's other side, resting his hands on his bow casually. His eyes stayed straight forward, not to meet hers.

"They are coming, Gimili. They are big, hostile, and quite disgusting creatures that look no different from the others that we have encountered." Susan answered as she removed her bow from it's holder on her back.

"Well, that sounds boring...I was hoping for something a little more challenging." He responded with only the slightest hint of sarcasm dripping from his lips.

Susan looked down at the dwarf and shook her head. She would rather have a painless battle, or no battle at all, instead of making things interesting by adding more fierce opponents.

The queen looked out into the plain that stretched out to meet the horizon: the enemy was going more ground.

In that next instant, Susan felt a drop fall from the sky and land upon her check, leaving a wet stain in it's wake. The girl directed her blue gaze upward just in time to see the down pour of rain race down from the clouds and land upon the men, creating a 'ting' sound to ring out over the silent wall.

It only seemed natural for a storm to bear down upon them for they were in the eye of the storm of battle at that very moment.

Closer and closer the opposing army drew, ready to attack, destroy, and kill everything that drew breath inside of Helm's Deep. Susan knew that many would die in this battle despite how much she wished it was false; but, she was prepared for this. She had been since the battle against the Tamarin's during her second voyage to Narnia where many Narnian's paid for freedom with their lives.

Death was a part of battle and was to be expected.

However, she was going to do her best to make sure that the least amount of casualties occurred. It was not fair that these men, farmers mostly, had to fight when they were not trained soldiers.

But battle was imminent and it was on their doorstep; someone needed to fight.

Susan took a deep breath and waited once more. In minutes that seemed like hours, the sound of marching feet silenced only to be replaced my the fierce battle cries of their opponents.

It was time.

From somewhere in the distance to her left, Susan heard Aragorn shouting to the archers in elvish. Though she knew not what he was saying it was easy enough to understand when the men all raised their bows and took aim; she followed suit.

The man shouted again but nothing happened. The queen's gaze shot from side to side as she tried to deduce what it was that she was supposed to be doing.

"Wait." Legolas translated.

Susan did not answer, just nodded her understanding.

Aragorn shouted the same phrase again, indicating to continue waiting to fire.

It was then Legolas's turn to shout in elvish before he turned to Susan. "Their armor is weak in the shoulder and neck." He explained in terms that she could understand.

"Thank you." She replied quickly before pulling the string of her bow back tighter and taking aim at a particularly ruthless looking Uraki.

Tension was building as the archers waited to release their arrows. Susan knew how difficult it was for a new archers to wait such a long time to shoot but it was necessary to not release too soon or-

From further down the wall Susan saw an arrow whoosh out of it's string, fly down to their enemies, and lodge itself in the chest of a Uraki. It took a second for the creature to realize that he had been pierced by an arrow but, once he did, the Uraki fell down dead at the feet of his comrades.

The Uraki army of thousands fell silent for a moment, all processing what just happened, before letting out a unified roar of outrage. They began marching in place, feet pounding, causing vibrations to be felt all the way up the wall in Helm's Deep where Susan stood.

The Narnian queen took another deep breath. Battle was just on there door step...and now it had invited itself in.

Planning, plotting, discovering, and thinking were over: the time to fight was now.

* * *

**I hope you all liked it! Please tell me what you think! Thank you for reading!**


	19. Dangerous and Moving

**Disclaimer- I do not own Lord of the Rings or Narnia. **

**I know! I am horrible and so sorry for it. My senior year is winding down and things have been so crazy! I hope with summer coming I will be able to update more. Thank you all for being so patient with me! Here we go...**

* * *

The cries of outrage and contempt rang through the air, creating an echo to run through Susan's ears. Stomping, angry steps replaced the march in place, bringing their enemies closer and closer to them.

Susan heard a far off shout-from Aragorn, it seemed-which did not need to be translated for the queen to understand. Almost instantaneously, all of the archers let loose their arrows, creating a storm of ammunition to rain down upon their enemies.

One by one, the arrows hit their marks and the orcs fell down dead where they stood. More roars came from down below the wall as the enemy began to run toward Helm's Deep. Quickly, Susan re-notched her bow and took aim at her next target; she let go and saw as the arrow lodged itself into the neck of beast.

"Ladders!" Aragorn shouted from down the wall a distance.

Susan pressed herself against the wall's edge to see that there was, in fact, a band of the Uraki readying a ladder to raise. The queen notched another arrow just as the enemy threw up anchors to latch the ladder into place several paces down from her.

Susan took aim at the nearest rope securing the ladder. Just as she let loose the arrow she felt a brush of wind against the side of her face as another arrow whizzed toward the farther rope; the two arrows hit their marks and down went to ladder, crushing several Uraki in the process.

She turned back to see Legolas, standing there, also looking down at what they accomplished. The next second, his eyes shot up, illuminated by the bright lightening shining from the sky, and looked over at Susan.

"The ladders! The ladders are up!" A voice called from somewhere within the depths of the archers.

Susan's head spun from Legolas to see that at least ten ladders were secured to the outer wall of Helm's Deep and orcs and Uraki climbed the rungs, coming closer and closer to the men.

"Susan," The queen heard Legolas call her attention back to him. The girl's face swung back to look at the elf; he gave her the most sincerest of looks. "Good luck."

Susan tried to think of some way to respond that would mean something, that would aid Legolas in forgiving her-for her decision to fight in the battle, not her decision regarding Aragorn. But, nothing came to mind that would make this better. Instead, Susan just nodded before turning away at the same moment Legolas spun the other direction.

"Lass! What's happening!" Gimili asked as he followed her down the wall aways to where Uraki were gaining altitude towards the top of the wall.

"They are almost upon us, Gimili!" Susan shouted as she notched another arrow and aimed for the nearest of their opponents.

"Finally!" Gimili yelled in pure excitement. "Well, my queen, let the best man win!"

Susan could not help but laugh as she let go of her arrow and saw as it lodged itself in the neck of Uraki climbing the nearest ladder. "I am on three already, Gimili. I suggest you begin to catch up."

The dwarf's eyes widened and he began to sputter, trying to find speech. "I-I-I-I will not be beat by a wee lass!" The next instant Susan saw as Gimili began hacking his way up to the front lines, giving one particularly good whack to an Uraki warrior ascending the stairs.

Susan had little time to even smile at his furiousness before she heard a growl sound behind her. The queen spun just in time to swing her bow in the the face of an Uraki who appeared from a ladder further down the wall. The wood of her bow made contact with the beast, throwing him off balance, and allowing her time to grab an arrow to stab right into his neck. Her opponent howled before falling down dead at her feet.

Several more interactions happened in the same fashion until something changed. Susan heard cries coming from the outer doors. The queen pushed herself as close to the top of the brick wall to crane her neck over and see what was happening: it appeared to be a small group of Uraki making their way towards the doors, covering themselves with thick metal shields during the process. Seconds later, a battering ram appeared out of the middle of the huddle and their opponents began their attempt to beat down the doors.

"Susan!"

The queen's attention shot to the voice's owner-Aragorn.

"Take them down! Take them down!"

Susan nodded, pushing her way closer to the group of enemies. The queen made it as far as she could before she finally took aim and started shooting the Uraki along the edges of the mob.

Unfortunately, Susan only had time to eliminate several opponents before shields began to spring up to hold her arrows at bay. Letting at a frustrated breath, the woman tried to figure out what to do now. The Uraki continued their attack, letting their battering ram crash against the wood of the doors over and over until a crack finally appeared; only seconds later Susan could see King Theodin and some of his men through the growing hole.

What was she supposed to do now? The only thing Susan could think to do was to continue to shot at the mob below her as she kept alert on the activity around her; the rest of her senses were on overdrive as her eyes stayed directed at the attackers of the gate.

Thirty seconds passed-all of them wasted because Susan was making no progress now that the shields were secured around the Uraki-before the queen caught a glimpse of movement just beyond the draw bridge.

A man's sword shimmered and reflected with the coming lightening and Susan almost instantly knew who the daring soldier was.

Aragorn's face disappeared back behind the cover of the wall for a moment, leaving Susan confused about his next move. The queen had no time to think further before she saw a small man flying through the air and landing before the army of Uraki; Gimili did not even pause to regain his composure before beginning his attack on the opponents before him.

Almost instantly afterwards Aragorn threw himself into the fray and aided Gimili in the task of retaking the drawbridge while the rest of the men behind the doors attempted to repair the damage.

Susan began to fire arrow after arrow, trying to add some cover for the two men. From the corner of her eye, Susan spotted Legolas fighting his way over to her, carving his way through using two swords.

"Legolas! Help!" Susan called, tossing the words over her shoulder as she continued to fire her bow into the crowd below.

The elf finally reached her, looking down to see what the situation was that was occurring. Almost instantly, Legolas pulled a length of rope from the belt around his waist and tossed it down in front of Gimili and Aragorn.

Aragorn grabbed the edge of the rope and then Gimili's collar before swinging off the drawbridge to escape the onslaught of Uraki warriors. Legolas began to pull them up and before long Susan dropped her bow to assist him in the task.

The queen pulled with all her strength, putting one hand in front, feeling her hands go raw, until the top of Aragorn's head appeared over the wall. Susan let go of the rope and rushed to the edge.

Aragorn grabbed the top of the wall with one hand while the other still clung to an enraged Gimili. The dwarf was still shouting about wanting to go back and finish the Uraki off when Susan grabbed his hand and helped haul him over the wall to safety; seconds later Legolas had planted Aragorn's feet successfully on the ground next to them.

All four of them took a few deep breaths before anyone even thought about returning to the battle. Gimili was the first to run off, his ax flashing frantically through the air as he hacked his was into the thick of the mess. Susan shook her head, knowing full well he was trying to get as many kills as he possibly could so he could win the game.

Aragorn raised his sword, about to join the dwarf, when Susan reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Have you seen Peter?" She asked, feeling the need to know the whereabouts of her brother. After their last battle on the way to Helm's Deep, Susan wanted to keep tabs on the king and felt edgy not knowing his current status.

Aragorn sighed and shook his head. "Not for some time, I'm afraid."

Susan could feel her heart sink slightly in her chest at his words and the uncertainty they brought her; the next second she felt Aragorn's hand go to her shoulder. The queen looked up at him and smiled slightly, awkwardly.

"He will be alright, Susan." The man reassured.

Susan nodded. "Good luck." She told him, completely ignoring his comment. The queen knew Peter was fine-he had to be-but she still could not help the worry that filled her; however, she would not let the worry consume her for much was to be done.

"The same to you," Aragorn said, before rushing into the crowd of men before him.

Susan took a deep breath as she retrieved her bow from it's spot on her back.

She notched an arrow and dove back into the madness before her.

The queen fought on for some time, shooting one Uraki soldier after another, stabbing them even when they came too close, before something changed.

Something was happening but Susan was not sure what it was.

Shouts and cheers began to spring up below her from the Uraki army, causing a collective pause in the battle on the walkway at the top of the wall. Susan looked down to see the crowd of enemies parting as one particular warrior raced toward the wall holding what appeared to be a sparkling torch in his hand.

What was going on? She was not sure what they believed he would do with a simple torch against a massive brick wall.

"Susan!" Aragorn's voice called out from ten feet away, catching her attention. "Take him down!" He said pointing to the creature with the torch then at the wall.

The queen leaned further over the edge to see that the beast was not just racing toward the solid brick wall but toward a drain-a weak spot in the the defensive wall of Helm's Deep.

Without thinking on it any longer, Susan raised her bow and shot an arrow into the nape of the creature's neck; this did not take him down and she shot again, this time aiming more towards his jugular.

The Uraki still did not fall and what happened next almost seemed to Susan to be in slow motion.

Weakened, the beast collapsed under the wall, in the drain, and not even a second later a fire explosion appeared, lighting the darkened night and filling the space with stone debris.

It reminded Susan of the air raids in London during the war, bringing flashes of these memories to the front of her mind.

The moment the explosion happened, Susan felt herself being thrown backwards from the force of the blast, landing ten feet from where she had previously been standing. Sparks of black and white flashed across her vision and the queen was momentarily rendered deaf-she was rendered stunned.

"Susan!" She heard someone's muffled voice call to her from what sounded like a million miles away. "Susan, you okay?"

The queen grabbed her head, attempting to regain some of the senses she had lost. Finally, her vision started to return and the ringing in her ears subsided. She took a deep breath before looking up to see it was Peter who was standing beside her.

The girl nodded, indicating that she was fine, before standing up and surveying the damage of the explosion.

"Aslan, help us." She breathed out when her eyes met the gaping hole in the outer wall of Helm's Deep.

A sea of Uraki rushed toward the blast sight, all trying to get inside the fortress as fast as possible. The warriors from within the Deep rushed down to meet them head on, clashing with the enemy on middle ground.

"I am going down there." Peter said, surveying the scene below.

"I shall cover you from up here." Susan told him, already notching an arrow. "Be careful."

Peter nodded. "Always am, Sue." Without another word, Peter ran down the nearest flight of stairs, fighting his was over to the battle at the gap in the wall.

Susan went over to the edge of the wall, looking down at the blast sight and the Uraki that were flooding it. From her perch above, she attempted to keep the Uraki at bay, picking them off one by one as they were slowed by the bottleneck effect of the hole.

But she could only do so much when there were thousands of Uraki enemies breaking through into the fortress. No matter how many of them she shot, more replaced them and gained entry into Helm's Deep.

"Fall back!" Aragorn's voice rang out over the vast space. "Fall back to the Keep!"

Susan heard the words and began to follow orders.

She turned, about to run down the flight of stairs that Peter had earlier used, only to see that a dozen Uraki were running up them. The girl sighed, finding that falling back was going to be more of a challenge than she expected.

The queen raised her bow and fired at the beast closest to the top, he went down and took several of the others with him back towards the ground. Susan aimed to take out another of the Uraki when she felt a hand go around her wrist; she began to be dragged in the opposite direction.

"I'm afraid there is no time for that, my queen. We must fall back."

It was Haldir who had grabbed her and now directed her. He continued to drag her through the crowd of his elves who still shot down at the army outside of the wall until he pushed her in front of her and pointed to a bridge twenty yards away that led into the the Keep. "Go now, my queen. I shall follow in a moment." He told her.

Susan nodded and flashed a small smile, silently thanking the elf, before turning to head in the direction of the bridge, firing down at the advancing Uraki that filled courtyard below her. The queen had only made it several feet when she heard a cry ring out behind her.

"Haldir!"

The queen spun just in time to see a Uraki soldier plunge his sword into the elf's back. The breath escaped Susan's lungs in the form of a gasp as she watched the expression on Haldir's face freeze and go blank.

Without thinking, Susan began running back toward the elf, raising her bow and shooting the Uraki dead the next instant. The girl watched as the elf swayed and fell to his knees as his injuries took over him.

She was almost to him when Aragorn appeared at his side and caught the elf just as his body gave way and his spirit left him. Susan froze a foot away from the two at the shock of seeing a friend die.

Aragorn held him for a moment, letting what just occurred sink into his brain, before he let out a defeated breath and reached up to close the fallen elf's eyes. Gently, he lowered Haldir to the ground and stood up.

Aragorn turned and looked over at Susan. "We must go." He said, coming over to her and urging the queen on toward the keep.

They were corner and they were losing men.

Susan wondered what they could possibly do now.

* * *

When they arrived in the keep Susan saw just how many men they had lost during the beginning of the battle; it seemed that only fifty or so men resided within the walls of the keep. All around her, Susan watched as men over turned furniture and began hauling it over to the doors, barricading them in the room.

Susan looked around to see Peter and Aldimir-the queen was relieved to see the boy that her brother had taken under his wing-carrying a large wooden table towards the doors and Legolas pushing another.

The entire room was chaos and no one seemed to know what their next step was to be.

Aragorn made his way over to King Theodin and Susan followed suit to see what needed to be done. Only when they reached the king did Susan realize that he was injured with what seemed to be a stab wound in his shoulder. She sighed, understanding that they were in worse shape than she imagined.

"What are we to do?" A man, one of Theodin's advisors, asked as several more men gathered around the kind.

"We need to get the woman and children out of the caves." Aragorn interjected. "Is there a way?"

"There is a passage through the mountains but they will never make it. The Uraki are too many." The advisor responded.

"But there is a way?" Susan asked urgently, earning a nod from the man.

The queen's gaze locked with Aragorn and she instantly knew what he was going to ask her do...what she would have to do.

"Where do I need to go, my lord?" Susan asked, addressing Theodin now. The idea of leaving the man was near impossible for her to comprehend but she knew it needed to be done, to save their lives, and no one else would be willing.

"Follow the tunnel down to the caves and find Eoywn, she will be able to assist you." Theodin instructed.

"Assist you with what?" Peter inquired as he came up to them with both Legolas and Gimili on his heels.

"I'm going to get the women and children out of the caves." Susan explained.

"Even if you get them out the Uraki will not be far behind." Another man close to Theodin added.

"Well, then I shall have Eoywn lead and I shall trail behind to hold them off as long as I can...It is not a perfect plan but it's the only chance we have." Susan explained.

The queen could feel not one but two several sets of eyes on her; she turned to see that all of the men from the Fellowship were staring in her direction with various degrees of concern on their faces.

"Stop looking at me like that." Susan sighed. "I am not the one who has to figure out how to get rid of the beasts outside of that door."

Peter stepped forward from the group and wrapped his arms around his sister. "Good luck, Susan. Take care of them."

Susan returned her brother's hug, trying hard not to think about the chances of his, or even her own, survival. Despite her tries, however, Susan understood that logically none of them would survive this battle. The Uraki were too many and they were too few-but she would never say such a thing.

The queen would stay positive for the Fellowship and for the woman and children she was about to go lead.

Peter let go of Susan and smiled down at her.

The girl smiled sadly also before taking a deep breath. "Alright, good luck to you all and I shall see being see you soon."

For some reason, Susan could not find the strength to move from that very spot; she did not want to leave them. From the corner of her eye, she saw Aragorn nod in her direction, trying to reassure her.

"Go on, Susan" Legolas said quietly, speaking to her for the first time in hours.

Susan's blue gaze turned to the elf for only a fraction of the second before she felt the courage to move.

Without another word, Susan spun and began to run, praying to Aslan that the impossible would become possible and somehow they could still survive this, after all.

* * *

**I know, it's a shorter chapter but I really wanted to get something out for you guys...I also struggled with writing the battle scene but I hope it turned out alright. You are all so dedicated and I'd hate to disappoint! Thank you so much for reading and please let me know your thoughts! Hopefully the wait will not be as long this time. **


	20. The Day Has Come

**Okay, so here is the new chapter! It is much longer with, hopefully, better writing. I hope the wait was not as long for you guys either...I am offically a high school graduate! Lol, so now that all of that is done and summer has finally arrived I can focus more on my writing and heading to college (Columbia University) in the fall! **

**Anyway, enough about me and on with the story!**

* * *

Susan ran down the tunnel leading to the caves, trying all the while to keep herself calm. The queen knew that this battle would more than likely end in nothing more than blood, pain, and total defeat; however, she could not let this knowledge get the best of her, not when the lives of all the women and children were in her hands. She had only made it several feet before she heard the horn blow from somewhere above and instantly felt her heart sank; already the men were riding out.

She must hurry.

Soon enough, Susan came to the entrance to the caves, throwing the large rock doors that were carved perfectly into the cave's walls open. Gasps and shouts of fear and confusion rang out among the crowds of people huddled around the cave.

"Eowyn?" Susan called out.

"Susan!" A voice answered her.

The queen looked around the dark cave until she saw the woman she had been looking for pushing past the people to get to her.

"What is going on out there?" Eowyn asked upon reaching her.

Once Susan got a good look at the woman she noticed that her face was strained and tired, almost as if she had been fighting this battle along with all of the men out there. Susan took a deep breath. "There is no time to explain the situation but we need to get the women and children out...your uncle told me that there is a way."

Eowyn nodded. "Yes, yes. The passage...through the mountains."

Susan also nodded frantically. "Yes, I need you to get these people up and moving...you need to lead them, Eowyn."

The woman gave Susan a puzzled look. "What are you going to do?" A pause. "You are going to be coming with us, are you not?"

Susan looked back at the doors and knew instantly that she was not going to run; she was going to do to what she always did and that was fight.

"I will stay back here and hold them off for as long as I can so that you will have a better chance for escape." Susan explained.

Eowyn's eyes widened in disbelief. "By yourself? You will not make it long."

Susan looked back again, waiting for some indication that the Urak Hai were storming the keep and on their way down to them.

"I shall make it long enough." Susan told her. "Get the people up, get them moving."

Eowyn stayed exactly where she was, staring at the queen in awe. "Let me stay with you, let me help you fight."

"No!" Susan said, irritated now at the amount of time the woman was wasting. Though she respected her for wanting to show her strength now was not the time. "You are the only one that can get them out of here. They trust you and they will follow you." Susan put a hand on her shoulder. "You need to go now before it is too late."

Eowyn stared at her for a moment more before she nodded, less than happily. "Good luck."

Susan smiled at her in reassurance before Eowyn turned around to instruct the people on what they were to do now. "Gather all your things and make sure everyone stays together!"

Susan watched as the woman picked up their small children while the older ones gathered up the few belongings that they had with them and clutched onto their mother's hands. It only seemed to take them a moment or two before they all started to funnel out through a back bottleneck of the cave.

A few minutes after that and Susan was completely and utterly alone with the dark and damp cave. She turned back to the entrance to the caves before pulling an arrow from her back and notching it, ready to shoot at whatever came through those doors next.

Susan did not know how long she stood there in absolute silence, pondering what was happening out on the battlefield and within the keep, but she did know that it felt like a lifetime before any sound could be heard from above her...for all she knew it had been.

A booming crash sounded, seeming to be the outer doors of the keep from the distance of it, followed by more silence. Susan assumed her enemies were descending the tunnel to the caves, trying their hardest to stay unknown to the woman and children they believed to be down here in case they were ready for them.

Susan raised her bow, anchoring the arrow with her mouth, ready to fire when that door opened. A moment later, the door began to open, slowly, almost cautiously.

Susan pulled the string of her bow back tighter.

The door stopped suddenly, halfway open.

The queen took a deep breath as her heart started pounding hard enough for her to feel it within her head. The string was pulled back to it's maximum capacity now.

The next second, one of the last people she expected to see walked through the door, dirt smeared on his face and a blood-stained sword clutched in his hand.

Susan lowered her bow in shock. "Legolas?"

"Susan!" He breathed out a sigh of relief. "You are alright."

Without thinking, Susan ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. "You are alright, too."

Legolas stood stunned for a second, before he too wrapped his arms around her.

The two stayed that way for a moment, just letting themselves be happy for the first time in what seemed a decade. But Susan, as always, came to her senses and let go of the elf. She took a step back and tried to hide the blush that was climbing up her cheeks.

Why must everything be so complicated? Why must she love someone but be destined for another? Aslan give her strength and understanding..

The elf cleared his throat, snapping Susan out of her thoughts and prayers.

Susan looked back up to see that Legolas was no longer shocked but held an angry expression on his face. "Why are you here? I thought you were going to help lead the woman and children to safety."

Susan sighed, replacing her bow onto her back, before answering. "I stayed behind to give the others a chance to escape." She explained, knowing full well that this response would earn her a stern lecture from not one but three different men.

Legolas's face fell from one of anger to one of complete worry. "You did what? Susan do you have any idea how reckless that was? If it were the Urak Hai instead of I at that door you would have been dead within minutes. It was completely-"

Susan put her hand up to stop his rant; like anyone, she wanted a chance to explain herself. "Legolas, I was doing what I thought was right. I did not mean to be reckless...just...I do not know, helpful, I suppose. I mean, I-I-" She paused to look down at her hands, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I thought that all of you would be dead by now."

The woman felt a hand go to her shoulder, causing her to look up at Legolas who now only stood a mere foot away from her. "I can assure you that we are all alive, Susan."

The queen smiled, internally rejoicing at the great news. Peter was alive, so were Aragorn and Gimli...but something just was not connecting in her mind. "But how?"

It was Legolas's turn to flash that ghost of a smile that Susan was beginning to not only know by heart but enjoy looking at. "Come," He said, grabbing her hand without invitation and pulling her in the direction of the tunnel that led to the mountains. "I shall explain on the way for now we must catch up with the women and children and tell them that it is all over and a new day has finally dawned."

* * *

It took the two of them only half of an hour to reach the group; Susan believed they were able to do it so quickly due to their chase to reach Merry and Pippin. During their journey, Legolas informed her of their short battle.

Supposedly, they rode out, ready to fight to the last man, when, from over the hill, came Gandalf followed by the Riders of Rohan. Within moments, the Urak Hai were on the run, going straight into the forest of Fangorn without realizing it. And, as the saying goes, that was that, Susan believed.

Once they explained the recent events to Eoywn, she began to rally the women and children and start to lead them back towards Helm's Deep. At the same time, Susan and Legolas ran ahead for the queen could wait no longer to see her brother.

However, upon running out of the keep, Susan's excitement faltered before completely evaporating.

So many bodies laid before her.

Bodies of the Urak Hai enemies.

Bodies of the very old and the very young.

Bodies of the fallen elves.

Bodies...all of them...surrounded by a sea of crimson blood.

"Susan?" Legolas asked, coming up behind her and placing a hand on her lower back, a gesture meant to comfort. "Are you feeling alright?"

She shook her head as memories of the raid against the Telmarine Castle when so few of them returned to Aslan's How...so much pain...so much loss.

"No, I am not." She said with a sad smile on her face. "Let us go meet Peter and the others. I would very much like to see them now."

Legolas nodded, a somber look across his face, before leading her out of the mayhem that was Helm's Deep and out onto the field before them where, she was said to see, even more carnage lay before them; however, this time she was not as startled for most that lay dead upon the grass were Urak Hai warriors.

"Susan?" Peter's voice called to her through her thoughts of death, causing the girl to look frantically around to find him. "Susan!" He called again, now sure that his sister was on the battlefield.

Susan continued her search until finally her eyes landed on her older brother; the queen smiled as she made her way through the crowd of men, cleaning up the corpses, to meet him.

"Thank Aslan you are alright. I was so worried." Peter told her as he came to wrap her in a hug.

Susan let go of her brother in order to look at him with a raised eyebrows. "You were worried about me? I was not the one riding out into almost certain death, Peter!"

He shook his head. "No, you were the one who was running from almost certain death, dear sister."

Susan's eyes widened and her jaw dropped; already he was trying to poke fun at her. The girl's gaze narrowed and she slapped him in the arm. "Peter Pevensie, so help me Aslan I will make you regret it if you say anything else about my leaving the battle." She paused. "It was because I was trying to do the right thing, not because I was scared...honestly." She muttered the words under her breath, more to herself than to Peter.

Peter chuckled slightly, no matter the situation it was always fun to make Susan squirm. "Alright, Susan. Alright. "

The girl nodded, feeling that all that needed to be said on that account had been; Peter knew better than to go any farther with his jokes.

"Where is everyone else? Gandalf? Gimli? Aragorn?" She asked, starting to look around for the three men.

"Well, Aragorn is with King Theoden discussing what to do next. Gandalf is over there," He pointed to a group of men and the wizard, as always, dressed in his immaculate white robes, "telling them what to do next. And then, Gimli...I lost track of him about a half an hour ago." Peter told her, a slight laugh rumbling from his chest.

Susan smiled. "I am sure he will turn up eventually, he always seems to." She paused to look back over at the elderly man. "I think I shall go see Gandalf...I will see you later."

"Stay out of trouble, Sue." Peter said, patting her arm tenderly before going off through the field of bodies, trying to find something useful to do.

Susan headed in Gandalf's direction and smiled when she had managed to catch his twinkling eye. She saw him excuse himself from the men that he was talking to before taking a few steps, leaning heavily on his staff all the while, towards her.

Susan's smile grew wider as she wrapped her arms gently around the man who had become a grandfather figure to her. "It is wonderful to see you again, Gandalf."

"Ahh, my dear, the pleasure is all mine." He chuckled before putting her at an arm's distance. "King Theoden tells me that you were quite useful during this battle, my queen, and that he regrets asking you to go into the caves." He leaned a little closer to whisper into her ear. "But I am not supposed to tell you that, of course." Gandalf stepped back and winked down at the queen, causing her to allow a small grin spread across her face.

"I shall keep your secret, Gandalf...I am just glad to help with the cause, that is why my brother and I are here after all, correct?"

Susan watched as Gandalf's face fell slightly at her words; it was then that she realized that they both knew that there was more to the Pevensie's being here than simply that. It was complicated, very complicated.

"Yes, my dear, you are correct." He said, trying to put a genuine smile back on his face.

"Queen Susan!" Susan spun to see Gimli sitting atop the body of a Urak Hai soldier. "Come here, lass! We have some things to discuss."

Susan smiled over at the dwarf and nodded to let him know that she would be there in a minute before she turned back to Gandalf. "We shall talk later, Gandalf."

"Of course, my queen, we shall." He said, also smiling.

She left the aging man to head in the direction of Gimli and-she noticed him for the first time since they left the keep-Legolas who was standing close by, studying his bow closely.

"Final count." Legolas started, still studying the bow nonchalantly. "Forty-two." He explained.

Susan could not help but laugh now; she had not realized that now was the time to allow their number of kills be known; however, now that they were there she knew that she had beat Legolas, at least. She had managed to kill forty-six Urak Hai warriors.

Legolas dropped his bow to his side and looked over at the queen with raised eyebrows. "I am curious to know how many you managed to kill, my queen?" He asked.

She fought to detain her smile. "Oh, I would much rather know how many Gimli killed."

The dwarf, still sitting on top of the enemy's corpse, let a look of pride spread across his face as he looked over at Legolas. "Forty-two? Oh, that's not bad for a pointy-eared elvish princeling...I myself am sitting pretty on _forty-three." _

Susan covered her mouth, attempting to hide her smirk caused by this rather silly rivalry that the two had.

The next instant, Susan saw an arrow fly from Legolas's bow and into the corpse, right between Gimli's legs.

The elf smirked. "Forty-three."

Gimli frowned, looked angry and confused. "He was already dead!"

"He was twitching." Legolas fought.

Gimli's frown turned into a scowl. "He was _twitching _because he has got my ax embedded in his nervous system!" He yelled, tugging on the ax that still stuck on from the corpse, and causing it to jerk around.

Susan shook her head, thinking to herself how ridiculous the two were acting. "On that note, I believe I will take my leave of you two." She announced before turning around and starting to walk away.

"Lass, you never told us what you got!" Gimli shouted at her retreating back.

Susan turned back to the two and shrugged. She did not want them to feel bad that she beat them since this, obviously meant a lot to their pride; it was easy to assume they would feel awful because they were beat by a woman. "Let us just say that I did not tie with the two of you." She told them before turning back around and kept walking, in hopes of finding something productive to do.

Susan smiled.

For now, they were all safe.

* * *

Once the troops were reorganized and everything was cleared, King Theoden announced that they were now to travel to Isengard-the stronghold of the Urak Hai army's leader, Saruman.

Their journey was not long, only a day's journey by horseback, and when they arrived Susan felt a shutter of surprise run through her as she surveyed their surroundings. The land appeared to be absolutely flooded with water at least up to Susan's knees and looked as if the battle had been fought there instead of at Helm's Deep.

"What do you think happened here?" Susan questioned her brother as he fought to keep control of their horse as it trudged through the water.

Peter pursed his lips as he too looked around for the source of the water; his eyes wandered until they reached a hill that stood high above the tall tower before them and the broken stone splinters that lined it.

The man pointed up to the hill to show his sister. "There. It seems that the dam was broken."

Susan nodded as she looked over her brother's shoulder to better survey the area. They had been traveling through the forest for most of their trek and Susan felt it soothing to see a bit of sunlight as the tree thinned around them. The group rounded a final corner, finally entering the immediate realm of Saruman, when Susan heard two of the most delightful sounds that she had ever heard in Middle Earth.

Merry and Pippin sat above them on a stone ledge, smoking and smiling as they watched their friends and comrades approach; Susan could not help but smile as Merry stood up to greet them.

"Welcome, my lords," He paused as his eyes caught Susan's and his smile grew wider. "And most beautifully lady, to Isengard!" The hobbit wobbled slightly as he threw his arm behind him to show the ruin of the once powerful stronghold, making it all to easy for Susan to reason that he was drunk. From behind him Pippin started to laugh again as he took another puff from the pipe in his mouth.

Susan heard Gimli start to yell at them-which really came as no surprise to her-but she could not make out the words for she was too happy that they were alive. It had been all too long since Susan had the two hobbits following her around, trying to make her comfortable and protect her at the same time, and it was a great sense of relief to finally see them in the flesh.

"We are sitting on a field of victory," Pippin informed the group. "Enjoying a few well earned comforts."

"We are under orders from Treebeard, who has taken over management of Isengard." Merry added, earning a raised brow from Gandalf.

Peter turned to Eomer with a confused expression playing across his face. "Who is Treebeard?"

Eomer looked over at them for a slight second before kicking his horse into motion. "He is an Ent: a talking tree."

"Oh," Peter said in surprise as he too caused his and Susan's horse to start moving. "Well, that is something new, is it not?"

Susan hit Peter's arm lightly. "Be nice. We were aware that there were talking trees, do not be rude."

"With you around? I would not dream of it, Susan." Peter said, a smirk playing across his face that made Susan roll her eyes.

The queen realized that her brother was still excited about their victory at Helm's Deep and was in a particularly good mood-not an agreeable mood, in Susan's opinion, but good.

The group-which now included Merry and Pippin on the back of two horses-continued on until they came to the base of the towering building that reminded Susan of a rather grim version of the Sleeping Beauty tower of her childhood.

"Young Master Gandalf, I am so glad that you have arrived." Susan should have been less shocked than she was about the large tree before them speaking, for Eomer had already informed her and her brother of it's capabilities; however, he failed to mention that this tree also had a face and mobile trunk that was almost like the body of a human. "There is a wizard to manage here...locked in his tower."

The queen cranked her neck as she gazed above them at the top of the building; if it were her she would wish to keep the high ground, even in defeat. Above them stood a man dressed in white and looking too much like Gandalf for Susan's liking.

"My lord." Susan called over to the wizard and thrusting her chin up to show him what she had seen; all eyes turned skyward to see the defeated enemy.

"Let us just have his head and be done with it." Gimli spat as he gazed at the man.

"No!" Gandalf insisted, eyes still very alert. "We need him alive...we need him to talk."

"What do you want, Gandalf Greyhame?" Saruman hissed.

"Your treachery has already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk...but you can save them Saruman! You were deep in the enemy's consul." Gandalf shouted up to him in a tone that led Susan to believe he was acting calmer that he truly was.

Saruman was Gandalf's friend and mentor who had betrayed him; she could not image what that must feel like for the wizard.

"So, you have come for information?" Saruman's face grew grim. "I have some for you."

The next instant he pulled something that Susan could not identify from the folds of his robes and began to gaze intently into it as if it were actually talking to him...for all the queen knew it was.

"Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth...something you have failed to see. But the Great Eye has seen it...and even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon." He paused as he looked down at the group far below his tower. "You, your Chosen Ones, your hobbits, and your armies...you are all going to die...but you always knew this, didn't you?" Saruman laughed menacingly. "You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the thrown of Gondor? This exile that has crept from the shadows will never become king."

Saruman's eyes then turned from Gandalf to look at Susan. "And this Gentle Queen and her brother? They will rule? The mere thought is preposterous. They did not come here to save Middle Earth...no, they came to die as they watch it burn."

From the corner of the Queen's eye she saw Peter's grip tighten significantly on the reins and his knuckles go white. She put a hand on his arm to calm him. "Steady your heart, Peter." She whispered.

Saruman's cool gaze turned away from Susan and back to Gandalf. "Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those closest to him, those he professes to love. Tell me what words of comfort did you give the halfling before you sent him to his doom?" He paused. "The path that you have sent him on will on lead to death."

Susan felt her heart sink within her chest at the mention of Frodo and his quest; it was she who had let him go when they were in the forest that day, not Gandalf.

Was she the one responsible for Frodo's-and Sam's, for that matter-well being? Was she the one responsible for their almost inevitable death?

From two horses down Susan could make out a distinct grunt from Gimli. "Well, I've heard enough! Go ahead and shoot him, the both of you archers, stick an arrow in his gob."

Susan saw as Legolas reached behind him for an arrow and she was about to do the same when Gandalf cried out.

"No!" He looked at both Susan and Legolas in turn to make sure they understood. "Come down, Saruman, and your life will be spared!"

"Save your pity and your mercy! I have no use for it!" The next instant the wizard above them pounded his staff against the ground and what looked to Susan like a fireball came down to engulf Gandalf, causing a small gasp of worry to escape her lungs.

The fire surrounded the wizard for several seconds before, to the queen's relief, it disappeared in a wisp of smoke to reveal Gandalf safe from harm.

"Saruman, your staff is broken!" Gandalf told his old friend before Saruman's staff burst into a thousand small splinters in his very hand.

It was now that Susan thought all was over only to see Grima, the man whose life she aided in sparing, appear behind the fallen wizard at the top of the tower.

"Grima," Theoden called to the man. "You need not follow him. You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan...come down." He pleaded to the man who tricked and betrayed him.

For the first time since they had met, Susan felt a tenderness for the aging king, seeing that he was not as battle hungry and cold as she imagined; however, it was safe for her to assume that Peter's feelings did not match her own for he still did not know the reasons for Theoden's dislike of him.

"A man of Rohan? What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where briggins drink and their brats roll around on the floor with the dogs...oh, no...victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you Theoden Horse Master!" Saruman's eyes went to Peter. "The Brave King from another world played more a part that you."

Peter's lips pursed as he eyes darted back down to his white knuckled hands. This wizard had too large a mouth and nothing to back up his words...he was defeated and trying to take everyone else down with him. It was Peter's hope that King Theoden could ignore Saruman's comments.

King Theoden took a deep breath. "Grima, come down. Be free of him."

"Free?" Saruman asked. "He will never be free."

"Oh, will we never hear the end of it from him!" Peter finally hissed through his teeth.

Susan eye's went from the king to her brother. "Stay calm, Peter. He is simply grasping at straws...he is backed into a corner and he realizes it."

Just then, a scream of pain and surprise rang out from above them, instinctively causing Susan to draw her weapon and aim it up at the tower.

She watched as Grima stabbed Saruman in the back, holding him securely around the chest, not once but twice before he was taken down by one of Legolas's arrows to the heart.

Saruman swayed for a moment, wounded and dying, before he staggered forward and lurched off of the tower, falling to his death.

Susan closed her eyes and braced her forehead against her brother's back, not wanting to see when the wizard made contact with the ground; it only took a second before she heard the thud of his body when it landed.

She knew then that that was the end of Saruman.

"It is okay to look, Susan." She heard her brother whisper gently over his shoulder.

The queen opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "Do not tell the others that I looked away." She asked, knowing that if he did the men's respect for her would decrease so soon after she had earned it.

"Do not worry, I will not." He responded.

"Send word to all our allies and every corner of Middle Earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us and we need to know where he will strike." Gandalf informed Eomer who nodded his understanding.

From behind her, Susan heard a splash as someone leaped from their horse and into the water below. She turned just in time to see one of the hobbits walking past her toward the base of the tower.

"Pippin?" She called out to him but did not earn a response.

The smallest of the hobbits knelt down and picked up an spherical object-the very thing that Saruman had been gazing into when giving Gandalf some information. The hobbit gazed into intently.

"Bless my bark." Treebeard said as he looked down at the object.

"Peregrin Took, I'll take that my lad." Gandalf told the boy, causing the poor thing to jump, as he held out a cloth instead of his hand.

The queen studied Pippin as he did not comply but thought carefully about whether or not to hand it over to Gandalf.

"Quickly now." Gandalf prompted, jarring Pippin from his thoughts and forcing him to hand over the orb. Gandalf smiled down at him as he wrapped the package up tightly and stored it in the folds of his robs.

"So, what now?" Susan asked as they all turned to leave the ruined fortress.

"We are to make for Edoras, my queen, where the rest of Rohan is waiting for us to celebrate." Eomer explained to her.

Somehow, as they made their way on yet another journey, Susan could not see what was worthy of celebration. The deaths of those bodies still laid close to the walls of Helm's Deep or the fact that this battle, this seeming victory, was not nearly close to being their last.

* * *

It was two days later and the survivors of the Battle for Helm's Deep returned to Edoras. Susan, along with all the other warriors, were gathered in the Great Hall with the ladies of the court. Cups were being passed around, readying those in attendance to have a toast.

Susan stood by herself, toward the back of the room, not feeling in the mood to celebrate; too many were dead for her to feel happy. She did not know why she could not feel excited about their victory just as everyone else was; Susan was just sad.

King Theoden stepped up to the dais and raised his glass into the air, causing the entire room to go silent. "Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!"

"Hail!" The word was cried out through the room before all took a long drink from their glasses.

Susan raised her glass also but did not drink: there was nothing victorious about death.

"Not feeling cheerful?" Gandalf asked from behind her.

Susan sighed but did not turn. "Should I be?"

A pause followed as both Gandalf and Susan searched for the answer.

Gandalf, eventually, shook his head. "No, I suppose not. Some would see this as a true victory but others, like yourself, view it as a loss." He paused. "I guess it is your gentle nature that makes it so."

Susan smiled slightly at his words. "Yes, my gentle nature...my compassion...both tend to get me into trouble, I am afraid." The queen turned back around to watch as Gimli and Legolas competed in some sort of drinking game.

Gandalf nodded, continuing to look at her with knowing eyes the whole while. "Susan, you know about the rest of the prophecy." It was a statement, not a question.

Susan glanced over at him over her shoulder but did not turn; she did not want to think about that prophecy. "Yes." She answered.

"I do not know what to say except I am sorry that it has to be this way." He explained as he came around to look at her straight on with sympathetic but stern eyes. "But it does, in fact, have to be this way, Susan."

Susan's blank stare finally hit the aging wizard and she nodded numbly. "And as always I shall be obedient, Gandalf." Her blue eyes turned to a piercing glare. "Is that a sufficient answer?"

The man looked down. "You are angry, I understand that-"

"I am not angry." Susan said, cutting him off. The queen did not want to hear the speech that she was sure the wizard was going to give her about being understanding; she wanted nothing more than to be alone with her thoughts. She smiled up at him slightly, hoping that it would give him false reassurance that she was alright. "I am feeling many things but anger is not one of them." She reiterated before turning around and exiting the double doors that led outside.

After the doors slammed closed once again, the queen ran around the perimeter of the building until the deck-like area ended and she could go no further. Susan gripped the railed in front of her as she took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.

Why did everything seem so much more manageable before and during the battle? Probably because she was distracted with thoughts of death and total destruction, now she had all the time in the world to think about the inevitable future that laid before her.

Susan watched as the sun slowly dipped below the clouds and then faded into darkness as it was swallowed by the horizon-not thinking or doing anything like it, just staring off into the distance.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think if you fell inclined. Thanks for reading!**


	21. Kiss My Eyes and Lay Me To Sleep

**Hey guys, I'm sorry it's been so long. True is, I had another tragedy strike my life and it has been hard to concentrate on writing. This probably isn't the best chapter and I apologize for that but I wanted to get something out to you guys. I hope you enjoy it. **

**Here we go….**

* * *

"Have you been here long?"

The voice snapped Susan out of her daze; she looked behind her to see that Aragorn was draping a cloak around her shoulders before coming to stand next to her.

"Thank you." She whispered before adjusting the cloak around her more securely. "And I am not really sure."

He leaned on the rail, completely taken by the night sky that had captivated Susan since her arrival in Middle Earth. Both knew that so much needed to be said but did not know how or what these words could be.

Susan bit her lip nervously as she decided to turn to look at the future king of Gondor, who returned her gaze. "I assume you talked to Gandalf."

Aragorn nodded. "He thinks you are very upset."

Susan chuckled humorlessly. "And what do you think?"

The man looked over at her, the same seriousness that he always carried in his eyes present. "I think you have the same feelings as I on the matter." Aragorn turned his entire body to now face Susan. "You are not alone in this, Susan, you must remember that we are going through this together."

Susan nodded before looking back out into the distance. What was she supposed to say? A deep, shaking, breath escaped her lungs as she fought to find words.

"Susan," Aragorn's words called her eyes back to him. The man met her gaze for a second before he had to look down, fighting, as Susan had, to find some words of comfort. It was in that moment that Susan realized that, for the first time since they had met, Aragorn was showing vulnerability. Like her, he did not know how to grasp at the situation. "You need to know that I truly care about you and I will not force you into a situation that you cannot live with." He paused before looking back into her blue eyes. "You are a great friend, Susan, and I will not judge you if you say you cannot fulfill the prophecy."

Susan nodded again, but this time she was able to find words to verbalize. "And if I say no, then your country, your cities, and your people will fall into ruin and suffer..." It was a statement, not a question.

Aragorn pursed his lips and just stared at the queen for a moment. How was he supposed to tell her what she wanted to know? How was he going to tell her that she was the key to the future of Gondor?

"We do not know that for sure." He finally decided on. It was not exactly a lie; he really could not say that Gondor would fall if Susan would not help him rule.

"But we do not know that it will not happen." Susan paused to take yet another deep breath. "I will not be selfish, Aragorn. I will not let people feel pain and suffer because of me...but at the same time people will suffer either way, won't they?"

"Are you talking about us?" He asked, a raised eyebrow settled toward his forehead.

"Among others...Arwen...and..." She did not want to say his name, not when she had just convinced herself that this was for the best, that she was better off without him. The elf made her unlike herself, he made he something different that she could not yet describe, and that scared her.

"And Legolas?" Aragorn finally said the name for her.

Susan felt her chest tighten slightly but the sensation went away as quickly as it came; she had to harden her heart to it now. The queen smiled slightly and nodded. "But I guess we must sacrifice a few for the greater good, correct?"

"I suppose that is true." Aragorn agreed.

"Alright, then. It is settled?" Susan shot back, wanting to be done with this conversation. Aragorn nodded before Susan did the same. "Well, then would you mind if we continued this discussion another time? It's been a long while since I have had any sleep and would truly appreciate some."

"Of course, my lady." Aragorn told her knowingly.

Susan nodded to him, one final time, before turning from him and walking as quickly as she could back toward the Great Hall and away from him. She rounded the corner, back closer to the activity but still far enough away to have her space, and stopped, leaning heavily on the wall.

Why was she letting this affect her so? The old Susan would have dealt with this gracefully- no fuss, no complaints-but the new Susan? The Susan who had appeared randomly in Middle Earth and become the Great Defender of a world she knew nothing about? She felt an ache in the pit of her stomach knowing that she was going to give up love in order to insure the happiness of everyone else. Susan knew that she could be happy with Aragorn, he was a great friend, and she cared for him deeply; however, it was not what she hoped for.

But what had she expected?

In Narnia-during the Golden Age-she was willing to marry Rabadash, a man she did not know, but was willing to try to create a life with in order to keep her country and it's people safe. But, upon finding out about his true character, she had decided against the engagement-that mistake had caused an entire battle to be fought for her, because of her.

Then, she was being selfish and she realized her folly was that she was thinking too much about her self and not enough about her people. But, even now, was she not thinking selfishly? Because, now, she wanted to back out of her agreement with Aragorn, not because he was a bad man, but because...because she was in love with another.

"Susan?"

She looked over to see that, of course, Legolas was standing several feet away from her with the same concerned expression he always seemed to have when his gaze met hers. It was not until he spoke that she realized tears were rolling down her face and she could not force them to stop.

The queen looked at him for a moment before shaking her head, unable to confront him just then, and storming past him and down the stairs that led away from the castle on the hill.

"Susan!" He called after her, the sound of his footfalls on the stairs behind her caused her to try and move faster. "Susan, would you please stop!"

She felt his hand go to her shoulder and the queen automatically spun back towards him, collapsing against his chest and covering her tear stained eyes as she leaned into him. The elf stood stunned for only a second, now becoming more comfortable with coming in contact with the beautiful queen, and wrapped her tightly inside of his arms; he wanted nothing more than to make whatever pained her go away.

"Shh, it is going to be alright." Legolas told her as he ran a hand through her hair. "Everything will be alright."

"I doubt that." Susan let the words out in a gasping breath before taking another, deep, calming one. She moved away from Legolas, slowly, and looked up into his eyes with a smile that did not seem sincere playing across her face. "But thank you all the same." Susan paused as her blue eyes connected to the worried elf's. "I will be fine."

"Are you sure?" His words turn her that he would not be convinced even if she did reassure him that all was fine. "You can tell me, Susan. I give you my word that I shall try my best to stop whatever it is that causes you pain."

Susan's eyes widened at his statement. Did he not realize that this pain she felt was because of him? Did he not see that for once love was ruining a life instead of enriching it? The queen shook her head in his direction at the idiocy of it all. Love was creating conflict once again as it had when she met and realized her feelings for Caspian. Perhaps a life without love would be easier; of course, it would not seem complete but it would be simple.

Susan felt Legolas's gaze burn a hole through the top of her head and she was forced to look back up at his piercing eyes. "All is well, or at least, it will be in the end." The dark haired girl gave the man a slight smile before turning and beginning to walk away from him, only to be stopped a second later by a hand on her small wrist.

"Susan, do you not think that we should talk of what is going to happen? What is to become of me and what is to become of you…and Aragorn?"

His voice sounded pleading to Susan, causing her to pause and turn back to him. The queen nodded. "Yes, we should…but not now." _Because if I do I do not know what will become of what I have left of my sense. _She turned back around to walk away, making it several feet before Legolas's voice called her back to him.

"Then when?" His voice was no longer concerned and pleading but furious and desperate.

"Soon." She called over her shoulder before climbing back up the stairs to the Great Hall that was now beginning to settle. "When I can wrap my mind around the idea that my life is no longer my own." She whispered the words into the late night air, letting them carry off into the distance.

Susan Pevensie was no longer a girl with dreams-she knew she could not be anymore-she was a girl of logic and duty who would grin and bear whatever was to come despite how much she wished to fight it.

Susan was all situated, nice and warm, within Great Hall of the castle. A couple of the men had dragged out two long couches for Eowyn and herself and settled them nice and close to the burning fire. The men had occupy all of the bedchambers within the castle and, surprisingly enough, the only way for the two women to get privacy was by being out in the middle of a public room.

It was just before dawn and still Susan was wide-awake; how could anyone expect her to sleep when she had so much on her mind? From the room closest to the two, Susan could hear the sound of the door opening. Opening her eyes ever so slightly, she found that the man emerging was Aragorn. Quickly, she snapped her eyes closed again and hoped that he did not see that she was awake; it was too early and still too awkward for the queen to discuss anything with Aragorn.

Susan heard the sound him approaching the fire and then stoking it, creating a slight increase in warmth to spring forth. The man stopped for a mere moment, exchanging a few whispers that were so low that the queen's ears could not pick up the words they were saying. The conversation only seemed to start by the time in had finished with two words from Aragorn that were loud enough for Susan to hear.

"Sleep Eowyn." The man said before the sound of his steps sounded in the room in the direction that Susan assumed to be of the door. Nothing happened then for a while, just Susan's restlessness consuming her as she listened to the crackling of the fire.

There was a point, however, several minutes after Aragorn left, when Susan could not lie there any longer. The girl threw her legs over the side of the long couch and stood up quickly. She did not know where she was going to go all that she knew is that she had to get out of that room.

The queen took a quick look around before deciding that the only reasonable place to go was outside to avoid walking the others. So, Susan headed towards the outer doors, forcing her to walk quietly past the closest room that Aragorn had previously inhabited, but stopped short when she heard a soft voice come from in.

"Pippin! Put that down!" The voice-was it Merry's?-whispered angrily.

Susan raised an eyebrow but did not move toward the door; other men were in there and she would not be responsible for disturbing them…the two hobbits could be the ones who get in trouble.

She took another step to get outside.

"Pippin!" This time the voice was louder and Susan knew something was wrong. Instantly, she ran toward the door and threw it open.

It was filled with men, laying on beds and on the floor, and in the midst of all of serenity was Pippin: laying on the floor with the spherical object of Saruman's in his hands as he wreathed in pain.

"Pippin!" Susan cried, waking several of the men, before rushing over to him and grabbing the orb from the hobbit's small hands.

Instantly, a surge of pain rushed through her, sending some sort of image to her brain. It was of an eye, one that was on fire, and made Susan feel almost frightened and weak to look at it.

"I see you." It breathed out, if that were even possible for an eye to do. "You grow weaker as I grow stronger, Great Defender. You. Will. Die."

The image disappeared as quickly as it came to her vision. The pain ended and she fell to the floor, completely exhausted by the experience she had just had.

Strong arms caught her and their owner fell over with her.

Susan watched as the orb rolled across the floor of the room before stopping against the wall; not even a second later, Gandalf ran past her, a blur of white, and covered the object with a gray cloak.

"Fool of a Took!" The man shouted as he turned around to chastise Pippin even further; however, his face fell and took his anger with it.

The girl's eyes darted over to see what the aging man was looking at and saw something that terrified her completely: Pippin lied there, eyes wide and staring. The hobbit was dead? So soon after they had found him? This could not be possible.

Merry was hovering over his friend only until Gandalf pushed him out of the way and knelt before the hobbit. The graying man shook the boy several times until he realized that he would never react; then, he put his hand over Pippin's eyes before closing his own and beginning to chant.

Several seconds past before something happened: Pippin woke with a start, inhaling sharply in the process. The terrified looking hobbit's eyes went to Gandalf and then Merry as he fought for breath and then words. It was not until then that Susan let out a breath that she had not realized she had been holding.

"I-I" Pippin started, only to get cut off instantly by Gandalf.

"Look at me." Gandalf told him forcefully. Pippin's eyes flinted to Gandalf's and then Merry's and then Susan's. "Look at me!" Gandalf repeated and this time Pippin complied to his command. "What did you see?"

"I saw a white tree…in a marble courtyard…it was burning…" He lost his words as he became wrapped up in the memory of what saw. "And I-I-I saw him. I saw him."

Gandalf stared at him for a moment as if trying to figure out what he had said. Eventually, he nodded to Pippin and helped him to stand. The wizard's eyes darted around the room before they stopped and locked onto Susan's.

The queen's eyes burned under the intensity of Gandalf's gaze in a way she had not felt since they had first met in Rivendell. Susan did not understand what she had done but she would not look away. "Susan…you saw something too." It should have been worded as a question but they all knew that he did not need to ask to know the truth.

Whoever was holding on to her, helped her stand to better meet Gandalf's gaze. The queen simply nodded, not daring to try and conceal the horror she had seen when she had touched the orb.

"What did you see?"

Susan bit her lip, feeling that her vision was completely foolish to voice aloud. She turned to look around and saw that the man behind her was Aragorn. She paused and met his eyes; the man gave her a small smile and nodded to her reassuringly.

Susan turned back to Gandalf. "It's going to sound ridiculous but I saw…an eye. An eye that was surrounded by flames. It spoke to me…saying that it grew stronger as I grew weaker…that we would fail and die."

Gandalf's eyes widened. "He spoke to you? He addressed you and spoke directly to you?"

Susan nodded again. "Yes…why what does this mean? Who was that figure?"

Gandalf looked around to all of the men, seeming as if he were trying to give them strength and comfort, before returning his gaze to the woman. "My queen, you have just come face to face with Sauron…or, at least, what is left of him after his last defeat. He knows you now…you are no longer safe."

Susan tilted her head to the man. "I did not realize I ever was."

The room remained silent for a moment as Gandalf figured out their next move. "Alright, someone go and wake the king! We will meet in the Great Hall and discuss what we are to do now."

None of the men questioned his authority and began to move and fan out throughout the building to find and wake the rest of the men. Susan stayed put for a moment as she allowed the room to clear; Merry and Pippin came to stand by her side.

"Miss Susan, I am so sorry for what happened. If it was not for me you would still be safe." Pippin said, looking down at his feet the whole while.

"Pippin, do not think on it. All will be alright, you shall see." She gave the hobbit a one-armed hug. "Once everyone is awake we will figure all of this out… I mean, who knows? Perhaps you have helped in aiding the movement against Sauron? I promise all will be well."

The hobbit smiled up at her, visibly calmer.

Susan smiled down at him too.

She did not realize just then how wrong she was about everything being well; in fact, everything now was more impossible that it had seemed before.

* * *

**I know, it's short, but I promise the next one will be long. I hope you enjoyed it though. Thank you so much for reading and please tell me what you think if you feel inclined!**


	22. Resolve

**Hey guys! Here's the newest chapter and in a more timely fashion, I hope. Lol. So a lot is going on in this chapter but I think it covers a lot of stuff that needs to be covered. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Once again, Susan and the rest of the Fellowship found themselves in council with King Theodin in the Great Hall. All of us were concerning with what had happened the night before but none of us knew what to do about.

"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes," Gandalf informed the king. "He did not tell Sauron about any of our plans or locations; and, as far I and Queen Susan know, Sauron did not mean to look into her mind for information, only taunt and frighten her."

"Did he succeed?" Theodin asked, now addressing Susan.

The queen stood up straighter and shook her head. "Not in the slightest."

She earned a smile from the king before he turned back to look at Gandalf. "So, what are we to do now?"

"The tree that Pippin saw in his vision was the white tree of Gondor…he said that it was burning which could only mean that Gondor-more specifically Minas Tirith-is in trouble." Gandalf's tone was hesitant, making Susan wonder what made him feel such a way.

The king of Rohan stood; looking as if Gandalf had just spoke blasphemy. He walked down from the dais to stand right in from of the aging wizard. "Again, I ask, what are we to do now?"

Susan's forehead wrinkled in confusion as she turned to her brother next to her. "Does he honestly not know what to do?"

Peter took a deep breath and shrugged. "I do not know, Sue, but I do know what he should do." It was then that the king came forward to stand before the reining one. "Gondor calls for aid, my liege, we need to answer that call."

For some reason, Susan stepped forward, also; something unpleasant was about to occur as it always did when Peter confronted Theodin.

"Is that right, child?" The king spat.

Peter nodded. "I mean no disrespect but, yes, it is true."

Theodin stared at the eldest Pevensie for a moment, seething. He finally took another step toward Peter and looked him straight in the eye. "For the time being these lands are still mine, foreign king. It is my commands that the people will follow and until that changes I do not want to hear another word from you about what you _think _I should be doing."

Susan grabbed her brother's arm, seeing that the vein in his neck began to tighten. "Peter, come outside with me." She began to pull him but he would not budge. The girl knew that he was about to say something that would only get him in deeper trouble with King Theodin. "Peter Pevenise," Her voice was now a mere whisper that only her brother could hear. "You will come out side with me right this instant…this is not Narnia…this is their battle and we are simply helping to fight it. Let those of Middle Earth decide their destinies."

The blonde man finally looked down at his sister and nodded before turning and storming out of the hall.

Susan looked back at king Theodin and frowned. "My lord, he only wishes to help. My brother is a great man and, to be quite honest, he does not deserve to be treated like a traitor. He'd rather, Aslan forbid, loose his own life than betray the lands and the people he is loyal to." The queen paused to look at the awe struck king. "Think of that next time you wish to put him down."

With those words, Susan turned and left the room. Once she closed the doors behind her she could not believe the words that had just come out of her mouth. Had she just spoken up against Theodin? Yes, indeed, she had for his pride had hurt her brother enough and she would not stand for it a moment longer. Peter was a great man and deserved to be treated as such; after all, he had more than proven himself at the battle.

Susan took a deep breath, letting her newfound rebellion from courtly manners sink into her, before turning to see Peter looking out over Edoras. The queen went over to her brother, stood beside him, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry about him, Peter. He is just intimidated that another king is in his lands, reading to put his import into-"

"There is more to this, Susan." Peter cut her off. "He does not act this way towards Aragorn who he knows to be the rightful king of Gondor, he only becomes cruel when speaking to me…I am not quite sure I know what I did to offend him in such a way."

Susan sighed and dropped her hand; she knew that now was the time to tell Peter about his part of the prophecy. The queen was not sure why she had waited so long to tell him…probably due to the fact that she was not ready to accept it. After all, this knowledge would change his life forever. He would never go back to Narnia or England, he would never see their family again…he was in the same position as Susan was and she knew just how terrified it made her feel.

"Pete," He looked from the view to her, then. When Susan called him by his nickname it was a clear indicator that something was dreadfully wrong. "When Theodin speaks to you in that way…it is not personal."

"Then what exactly is it?" Her brother questioned curiously.

Susan took another deep breath, knowing that it was now or never to get this information verbalized to him. "It is more a question of jealousy."

"Jealousy?" Peter raised an eyebrow, now more confused than ever.

Susan nodded in response. "Yes, he envies you because..." She paused again. "Pete, I have not been completely honest with you about our prophecy." She waited for him to say something but he did not. "There is more to our time here than helping them destroy Sauron…we have destinies that extend past that."

"Which is what, Sue?" Peter's heart began to race, wondering what could possibly have his sister too scared to tell him. Was something bad supposed to happen to him? Or was something bad supposed to happen _because _of him?

"Well," The brown haired girl began playing with her fingers, a nervous habit she had had since childhood, and began pacing. "Peter, you-you are supposed to become, well, it is prophesied that you will…become…king of… Rohan."

The queen spun back to look at her brother, hoping that he did not look too affected by the news. Unfortunately for her, he looked all too affected by her information; he was absolutely stunned. Susan went back over to him.

What was going through Peter's mind? She could not help but wonder.

"Pete?" She prompted, wanting to know what was on his mind that very instant.

The king shook his head, pulling himself into the present. "How long have you known?"

"Since the battle at Helm's Deep." She admitted. "I-I just did not know how to tell you, Peter. I am so sorry for keeping this from you."

The king shook his head again; this time it seemed to be in disbelief. "I-I-I do not know what to say."

Susan nodded. "It is a lot to take in, I understand. When Aragorn told me I did not know how to handle the information. It is just…it is just too much."

It was too much, Peter did not need his sister to tell him that. He was uncertain of what to make of it. He was to be king? Of Gondor? What about Narnia? Was it true that they would never return now? Were they always going to be in Middle Earth? And what about Susan?

"And what does the prophecy say about your future, Sue?" He asked.

The next instant the men from the Great Hall burst forth, led by Gandalf and Pippin. They marched past the two royals and down the stairs. Something serious was happening, not allowing Susan time to answer. She watched, as they went, not asking them what they were doing or where they were going.

Once they had all left, Merry ran from the interior room and practically took four stairs at a time in an attempt to catch up with the men.

"Merry?" Susan called after him, not earning an answer.

She sighed before turning back to her brother. "Peter, I am not sure how to-"

He cut her off by putting a hand up to silence her. "Susan, I can not do this now. I think-I think they are doing something, something important." He started running down the stairs in almost the same fashion that Merry did. "We will talk later!" He threw the words over his shoulder.

It was Susan's turn then to shake her head. Leave it to Peter to leave his fate hanging in the balance when something strategic, usually involving war, was right in front of him. One more deep breath of relief-now that Peter knew of his prophecy-and she ran down to the stables, eager to see what was so fascinating.

* * *

An hour later Susan was sitting up in a watchtower with Merry, looking at the horizon that had swallowed up his best friend and Gandalf.

The wizard said that Pippin was in trouble and he needed to get away from Rohan; so, he took the hobbit with him on his journey to Gondor to talk to the Steward about the land's coming trouble.

It was an understatement to say that Merry was sadden by his friend's leaving; it almost reminded her of how she felt when she let Lucy to find Aslan during the battle at Aslan's How.

"Merry, are you going to be alright?" The queen asked the hobbit sitting next to her.

He nodded slightly. "Pippin has been following me everywhere I went since we were children and, now, he is…he is going somewhere I cannot follow him."

"Pippin is strong, Merry, and he is with Gandalf. He will be fine, I promise you that." The queen smiled down at the hobbit and placed a hand on his shoulder, an attempt to comfort him though she knew it would not do. The only thing that would ease his mind would be to see Pippin again, safe and sound. Susan's heart was telling her they would see each other again and that alone gave her a slight comfort during this time.

"What are we to do now?" Merry asked.

Susan took a deep annoyed breath. "King Theodin will not move against Mordor until Gondor calls for our aid…We have to wait until Gandalf speaks with the Steward and, hopefully, he will light the beacons and call to us."

Merry nodded.

Both were quiet for a moment before the hobbit spoke again. "So all we are supposed to do is wait? I do not think I know how to do that anymore."

Susan allowed a chuckle to rise from her lungs. "Yes, I think I have forgotten as well."

"What do we do then?"

Susan smiled over at him. "We prepare for this upcoming battle in every possible way we can."

* * *

Peter walked into the Great Hall, feeling slightly nervous, if he were completely honest with himself. All of this time he believed the king of Rohan simply hated him for who he was; never did Peter believe he hated him for who he would become.

Completely alone, Theodin sat on his throne, seemingly doing nothing but Peter knew better; the king was thinking, hard, about the inevitable war that lay before them. The Narnian king had been in that position before, wondering what was best for his people.

He was just about to take a step back-leaving Theodin alone to confront him another time-when the aging king's head popped up and looked over at him. "You." He said. "What are you doing here?"

Peter stopped his retreat and instead came closer to the king. "I did not mean to disturb you, my lord…I would like to discuss something with you if that would be alright."

Theodin shook his head. "Listen lad, if this is about the attack I-"

"No, no. It's actually about…the prophecy."

Theodin's hard exterior cracked, showing Peter for the first time that he could be vulnerable. "What about it?" The king asked.

"Sir, I did not know about it until a few days ago when my sister informed me of what my role is to be after the war." He paused. "My lord, I understand now why you have been so…off put by me and I cannot say I blame you for I believe I would act the same way if I knew that someone I did not know was going to become the next king of my lands."

Theodin nodded slightly, seemingly stunned that the two of them were having this conversation. "I always seem to forget that you are, in fact, a ruler of your own country." He murmured the words under his breath as she backed into his throne and sat down.

It was Peter's turn to nod. "My king, I have come to tell you that I do not know how this will come to be-I am still trying to process that it is a possibility, myself-but I will not become king, not without your blessing and the blessing of your people."

Theodin finally looked up at the younger king and stared in disbelief. The two maintained eye contact for a while; however, this was not a power struggle, more like an understanding passing between them. The king stood back up and came to stand directly in front of Peter. Timidly, he raised his hand and grasped the Pevensie's shoulder in a fatherly gesture.

"My boy, I am sorry that I treated you in such a cruel manner. It did not realize how awful I had been until Queen Susan brought my actions to light…I suppose my behavior was due to my inability to accept that my time is coming to an end." Peter's eyes slightly widened at the king's words. "Oh, yes. I must die in order for you to become king."

"But I do not understand why it must be me. What about your kin?" Peter's words were pleading to be answered. He wanted something to make sense to him now, through all of the uncertainties he had been living with; at least this needed to make sense.

Theodin smiled. "All of my sons have gone on to the next life, Peter, and I do have my niece and nephew-and they would be excellent choices for the throne-but this is not their destiny…it is yours, Peter, it always has been." He paused to put both hands firmly on the younger king's shoulders now. "I appoint you, Peter Pevensie, King of Narnia, the heir to the throne of Rohan."

Peter allowed a slight smile appear on his face, finally feeling accepted and believed in. 'Thank you, my lord. I promise I will not let you down."

Theodin nodded. "I believe you and so will all of the people of Rohan…Your time is coming, Peter, and I know you will be as excellent a ruler of Middle Earth as you are a Great Defender of it."

Theodin removed his hands from Peter's shoulders and held one out to shake; Peter accepted, grasping his hand firmly. This was the start of something new, the oldest Pevensie could feel it in his very bones and, with Theodin's blessing, he knew that he would handle it as a true king would: with grace, pose, understanding, and compassion.

* * *

It was how he had ruled Narnia and it is how he would rule Rohan too.

Susan was outside the city walls, in the archer's field, where she always found herself when she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. But the problem this time was she did not have anything on her mind; she did not want to.

All she had been doing was worrying-worrying about Peter, worrying about the prophecy, worrying about the men in her life whether he be Aragorn, Legolas, and now Merry and Pippin. Truth was, she did not want to think for a while, just be alone with nothing but her bow and the targets.

She had been out there almost two hours before being interrupted by Eoywn. "My queen, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time." She said as she came up from behind.

Susan let go of the arrow that was notched in her bow-aiming to the bull's eye and managing to hit it-before turning back to the woman of Rohan and smiling. "You may have as many as you need."

Eoywn smiled as well. "Well, I know we have discussed this before and I would just like to continue the conversation." The woman paused. "I want-no, I need-to fight in this upcoming battle."

Susan nodded. "I am curious about why you are so set on it when the other women are perfectly content staying behind."

"I want to prove myself." Eoywn explained after a moment's though. "You are brave and fierce in battle and have already won the respect of everyone who has met you…I want that respect. I want more in this life than to be a wife."

Susan nodded again, understanding what Eoywn was telling her. "You do not need to prove your worth to anyone but you, Eoywn. As long as you believe what you are doing is worth while then you will have respect."

"I cannot feel worthy of respect unless I have earned it like you have, my queen, by being both warrior and royal woman."

Susan smiled before going over to her pile of weapons and handing Eoywn the sword that Aragorn had given her so long ago at Weathertop. "Then I will help you." Right when she was about to give the sword to Eoywn, she pulled back. "But under one condition."

"Yes, anything, my queen."

The queen sighed. "You must practice every moment you have free, whether it be with me, my brother, Legolas, or Aragorn." Eoywn nodded enthusiastically, Susan did the same in response. "And you must promise me that, when the time comes, and I do not think you are ready….you will stay behind."

Eoywn's response was not automatic like the last; she hesitated.

"Eoywn, I will not send you into battle only to die. Please do not ask me to."

After a moment's thought, Eoywn slowly nodded. "I understand, my queen. I will respect your conditions."

Susan smiled again and handed Eoywn the sword. "Good, then let's get started."

Eoywn lifted her sword and waited while Susan just stood there, watching her. "Well, where is your sword, my queen?" The woman asked, seemingly confused.

"I do not need one." Susan informed, grasping her bow a little tighter in her hand. "In all honesty, it only slows my response. I prefer my bow whether I am fighting at a distance or close range."

Eoywn nodded before taking a deep breath. Susan knew the manner in which the woman would come at her: she would take her sword and attempt to swing it straight at her chest. Seconds later, the woman of Rohan began her attack, the exact way that Susan imaged her too.

Eoywn ran toward her swing her sword out to the side and aiming to cut Susan right as the elbow. The queen simply ducked to avoid contact. "Do not aim right at the middle…it is the easiest for your opponent to protect. Either aim high or lower."

The trainee took the pointer and began again.

The two continued in the same fashion for at least an hour or two before being interrupted by Legolas, running down from the hill and rushing towards them. "The beacons are lit! Gondor has called for aid and we are to answer!"

The two women, exhausted and panting, turned to each other in disbelief; it seemed that Eoywn's time was coming sooner than both of them realized.

It was coming sooner than any of them realized.

* * *

Back in the Great Hall, Susan, along with her brother and the rest of the fellowship, began talking strategy as the rest of the city prepared themselves as needed-the women began bunkering down, staying behind with a small group of the youngest soldiers, as the men scrounged up the last of the energy and weapons the possessed.

Theodin decided that the only way they were going to have a fighting chance in this war was if they found more numbers, and, he was right. So, he sent men in every direction, to every village in Rohan and beyond. They were all instructed to be ready to move to a more central location, close to Minas Tirith, by the next morning and wait there for the rest of the troops; in three days time they would ride to Gondor.

Susan stood next to her brother as they watched the men hustle about; both feeling at a loss for what to do next.

"They are scared." Susan said with a shake of the head. "Even more so than before."

"They should be, Susan, this is going to be worse, much worse, than Helm's Deep."

"What can we do?"

Peter shook his head. "Pray we get the numbers we need, I suppose."

"And if we do not?"

The eldest Pevensie looked over at her, his face grim. "We will fight regardless, even if it means the end of all of us."

Susan nodded again, appreciating her brother's honesty. Normally, Peter would try and spare her-along with her younger siblings-the bitterness that the truth usually brings but he could not do that anymore with Susan. She was old enough to know and except what their fate was to be.

Speaking of fate…

"Susan, you never explained to me what your part in all of this is."

The queen furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

He stretched his arms out. "In this world. I have a purpose besides being a defender of Middle Earth…do you, as well?"

The brown haired woman began chewing on her lower lip. It had been a while since she thought about her alternative fate in Middle Earth and, now, that it has been brought up she could feel a thump rise in her throat; however, since Peter had been honest with her, she had to be honest with him.

No more secrets would separate them, she decided.

Susan nodded. "Yes."

"Well…what is it?" He asked, fully curious now.

Susan took a deep breath before grabbing her brother by the arm and pulling him into a quieter corner of the room.

"Whoa, this must be bad if you have to do this privately." Peter's tone was half joking, half serious.

"Oh, be quiet." Susan smacked his arm lightly before pausing. "Well, I suppose I am in the same situation as you…I am said to become queen of Gondor."

Peter blinked a few times until he understood what she had just said. "Wait, I do not understand. How are you to be queen of Gondor when Aragorn is the rightful heir to the throne…" Right as the words left his mouth he figured the situation out. "Oh, Susan. You are to marry him then?"

Susan nodded.

"And how do you feel about that?"

The queen thought for a moment, wondering how she should phrase what she wanted to say. "Aragorn is an amazing man."

Peter nodded knowingly. It was just like Susan to answer a question but actually avoid giving out the answer you were looking for. "He is…but…"

"He loves someone else." She answered automatically now.

"As do you?"

Susan's eyes shot up from the floor to look at her brother. How did he know? She had not mentioned one word to him about Legolas. "Peter-"

"Listen, Sue, as your brother and your friend let me give you some advice: follow your heart. It has never let you astray before." He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her, not judging or questioning her, the prophecy, or the men. "We have a long road ahead of us and if we cannot trust our own soul then who are we to trust? How are we expected to thrive or even survive in this world?"

Susan smiled before throwing herself into her brother's arms; it had been a while since he had played the big brother card on her and she had missed his always-wise words. This feel, however, led her to think of her younger sibling-as she did from time to time-and where they were and if they had each other for comfort.

"We have each other, Peter. That is how we are going to survive and make it through."

"You are right." He said, smiling now also.

Peter was the first to step away from the hug. "We should get back to the others and, as you would say, find something useful to do." He smiled and began walking away. He paused a second later and turned back to her. "Everything _will _be okay, Susan. I promise you that."

Susan nodded. "I believe you."

And for the first time, she really did believe that everything would be all right.

* * *

**Please tell me what you think! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! **


	23. Everything In Transit

**Okay, so I realized that you guys are probably furious with me but I have just started college and things have been plum crazy! Since I am attending Columbia, I had to trudge to New York only to make it there and have to return home because of the hurricane and then go back again! Needless to say, things have been crazy. But here is the chapter and I hope you are happy with it. I think I am!**

**Okay, here we go.**

* * *

They had arrived at their temporary camp early the next morning; they had ridden all through the night until they reached a point central to all those that had been called to aid them. The most of the men were setting up the camp while Susan checked the perimeter of the encampment; she was not strong enough to put up the tents but this was something she was more than capable of doing.

The queen noted that her tent, along with most of the higher ranking officers and warriors, were located on top of a high cliff, a place where they could keep an eye on the growing number of soldiers that were supposed to be showing up below. On the lower ground, the campsite rested against the base of the cliff and was surrounded by a plain on three sides; it would not be difficult to see if someone were to approach them.

But it was not what was below her that concerned the queen, however, it was what lay behind her. Susan walked to the mountains that rested behind the higher camp and ran her fingers along the rocky surface. For about a hundred feet everything seemed normal and secure, until she stumbled upon a gap between the two mountains-it was a trail, she concluded.

She stood there for a moment, staring into the strangely foggy trail, until she sensed something strange. The hairs on the back of her neck straightened as she squinted to better see into the pass. A whisper as low as the wind met her ears; so quiet she could not even understand the words being spoken. "Susan…Gentle Queen…Defender…"

Susan squinted even more until the shape of a man, dressed in the clothes of Middle Earth, staring straight at her. The girl wondered why he was there: was he a member of the army, was he a spy? Susan then felt a chill run down her spine as she realized that this was not a man…he was a transparent.

"Susan?"

The girl gasped and jumped slightly as she spun to see Aragorn standing there. He raised an eyebrow at her before deciding to stare past her shoulder to see what had startled her so.

"Did you see one of them?" He questioned slowly.

"Them? Them who?" She asked, spinning back to see that the figure that had been there a moment before had disappeared.

"The Army of the Dead." He said, about to explain more when King Theodin called his name from behind. Aragorn turned to the man and nodded that he was on his way before turning back to Susan. He looked at her for a moment. "Another time, perhaps."

Susan nodded and the next instant he was gone. The queen watched his retreating back until he found his way into the King's tent only to turn back to the White Mountains. Another whisper in the wind ruffled her hair and this time she knew exactly what it was—and she wanted to know more.

Slowly, she took a step into the pass and then another. She continued like this, testing the terrain, for about twenty-five feet before she felt a hand tug on her wrist. The queen spun around to see Legolas dragging her back toward the mouth of the trail.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "Let go of me."

The elf did not respond or even acknowledge that she was there-strangely enough considering that he was clamped onto her wrist-until he pulled her out the trail and into a patch of woods a few yards away. He dropped her hand before spinning back to her and glaring with electric blue eyes. Susan staggered back a step at that look; it was something she had never seen from Legolas. Whether he was truly mad or simply hurt, she could not tell.

"What were you thinking? Going in there?" He towered over her then, trying to be intimidating, but only managed to made her absolutely furious.

"What was I thinking? What were you thinking? I was not the one who yanked the other one of us by the arm like an absolute barbarian!" She yelled back at him.

"I did not-!" Legolas's voice rose even louder than Susan's had until he stopped himself. He took a step back, no longer looming, and breathed deeply. "I did not mean to drag you on in that fashion. I was just worried."

Susan's temper dissolved the instant she saw that he was once again the kind elf she had known since they had met. "Why would you be worried? I was not going to go too far."

He shook his head. "It does not matter, Susan. All it takes is being within the fog for them to take you." He paused to look up at her. "When I saw you, in there, I-I panicked."

Susan could feel her pulse race as he looked at her in this way; she should not let him do this, not now, not when this could never be. The queen's pulse then went from racing to nonexistent. She felt faint and weak, angry and sad, all at the same instant. But once her eyes connected with Legolas's again she knew that this feeling-this feeling of having every emotion possible coursing through your body at the exact same moment-was just going to be the normal response to having him so near her.

They could not be but they always would. She had to accept that now.

"I am sorry, Susan. I just…" He trailed off as he tried to find the word.

"You care about me…" Susan put the words out into the universe, looking down, and waited for what he would say next. When had she become so forward, she wondered.

Silence answered her, making it feel as if a large weight had settled it's self on her chest. She prayed that he was say something, anything, just to end the agony of silence. The next instant she felt his fingers go gently to her chin, lifting her face slightly to look at him.

Shocking blue eyes collided.

"I love you. I have since the moment I saw you in Rivendell." The words were barely above a whisper but Susan heard them loud and clear.

Susan allowed a slight smile to spread across her face; slowly, she lifted her hand to take the one that Legolas still had placed under her chin. The queen entwined their fingers and rested them against his strong chest. For a moment she was not the Gentle Queen, destined to marry another. She was Susan Pevenise and she had found a love that she did not think she would find again, not after what happened in Narnia.

She had resisted this because of Caspian and what their romance had done to her; she tried to be strong and succeeded, but, for now, for just a few minutes, she would give in.

"I-I love you too." The sound of the words escaping her lungs made her heart jumpstart with lightening speed. Though she felt that was with the prince she had never had the courage to actually say it to him.

Legolas stared down at her, a smile plastered on his face that made his normal grin look mediocre. His free hand went down to grab hers and pull in up beside their other hands. Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned in and kissed her. Unlike their first kiss, this one did not end in anger but confirmation of their feelings.

Legolas pulled back, his hands still firmly gripping hers, and began staring at her again. This time, however, no smile appeared on his face; it was as if he were searching her eyes for something.

"Legolas?" The queen prompted.

The elf shook his head before blinking down at her. "Do not marry him, Susan."

The girl was in shock, unbelieving that he actually said those words and putting her in this position. "Legolas…"

"Do no marry him. I beg you."

The girl's eyes drifted down as she slowly slid her hands away from his and took a small step back. Almost instantly her guard was back up and her feelings for Legolas were once more caged deep within her soul. Finally, she managed to look up at him. "I have to."

His blue eyes lost some of their electricity, then, Susan noted, forcing her to look away again.

"Please, Susan, I-"

"Sue,"

The queen jumped as she turned to see Peter standing several feet away from them; he did not look angry, which surprised her, but more sympathetic than anything else.

"Come now, the king wishes to speak to us." His eyes flinted to Legolas. "All of us."

Susan's eyes darted to the elf for a second before she nodded, walking towards her brother without a word. Once she was next to him, he placed a hand on the small of her back, comforting her.

The two began to walk, knowing that Legolas would not dare follow for a few minutes.

"How much did you hear, Peter?" Susan's question came out shakier than she wished it to.

Peter sighed out of his nose as moved his hand to reach her opposite shoulder in a one armed hug as they walked. "Enough, Susan. Enough."

Susan was grateful when he did not say anything after that.

* * *

The fact of the matter was that there were not enough troops and it seemed that they were not hoping for many more to come; doubt had polluted their hearts and it was taking over. Susan sat close to the flap of the tent and far away from Legolas, Aragorn, and Peter. None of the men seemed like good company to keep to her right now.

She looked down at the lower campsite…only two or three dozen new tents had been added that afternoon. The men sat around in small groups, talking and eating, trying to keep busy as they waited for the help that would probably never come.

"There has to be someway to rally troops." Peter said.

Susan listened intently as the men were silent for a moment, trying to think of an answer to her brother's question. The woman knew that they had no answers because, honestly, there were not any. Everyone else was scared, just as they were.

"We just have to wait longer. More troops will come." Aragorn explained.

"And if they do not?" Susan heard herself speak up, turning back to look at him.

Aragorn's face did not fall in defeat nor perk up in optimism. "Then we shall find a way. It is the only option we have now."

* * *

The meeting went on in the same fashion for several moments before they all began to disperse among the camp. Susan did not go far, just back to the crack in the mountain to think. Her gaze broke into the fog, waiting to see the figure and hear that hiss of a voice again. She did not know why she had become so fascinated by the pass, probably because of the mystery that was wrapped around it.

A twig snapped behind her and she turned to see Aragorn coming towards the pass. Susan's eyes drifted back to the mountain and it's fog. It was only seconds later that Aragorn had joined her. The two were quiet for a moment, as was customary for them; they never really seemed to know what to say to each other.

"I believe I owe you a story." He said simply, in a tone that held little emotion.

Susan looked over at the man, wondering how they had come to this uncomfortable situation in their relationship; after all, they had been friends before her discovery of their intended marriage. It took her a few seconds to realize that he was waiting for a reply. "I am sorry…you were saying?"

"The story? Of the man you saw within the pass? I believe you wanted to know his story."

He was trying, Susan knew that, but it did not make things any less tense between them. She put a smile on and nodded. "Yes, I would like that."

It was then Aragorn's turn to nod before jerking his head in the direction of the gap in the mountains. "Through the fog, deep into the depths of the mountains, is located the Path of the Dead, kept by the ghost army of old. During the War of the Last Alliance-the last time a war was fought against Saron-the army pledged their allegiance to fight for Isildur; but when the time came they did not fulfill that oath, and they abandoned Isildur. After that, they were banished to these mountains, waiting, even after they died, to fulfill that oath to fight for the king of Gondor."

"That is awful, what they did to Isildur. But, then again, I feel sorry for them that they have to live such a life." Susan explained with the shake of her head; those poor, scared men.

She could feel one of Aragorn's sideways glances on her, she turned to see that her instincts were, in fact, correct. "What is it?" She asked, feeling uncomfortable with him yet again.

Aragorn shook his head now. "I find your undying compassion very refreshing, Susan. It has been quite some time since I have seen it's equal."

The longing in Aragorn's eyes made the queen realized that this 'someone' was a person he cared for and respected deeply. Susan paused before answering. "Was it Arwen? The last person you saw with such compassion?"

He smiled slightly. "Yes, she was." The answer came quick, without the slightest hint of hesitation, showing Susan that his love for her was unyielding and strong.

The queen nodded, now her sympathies lied with Aragorn and his trouble with love; it was then she realized that she had been so focused on herself in this situation that she completely forgot about Aragorn and his feeling on the matter. She had been being selfish and she did not like herself for that. Like she, he had a love that he would have to abandon in order to fulfill the prophecy and protect his country. This was not easy for any involved.

"Where is she now?" She asked, wanting to know more about the elf woman she had only started getting to know when they left Rivendell.

He took a deep breath through his nose. "She is sailing with her people to the Undying Lands…a new life awaits her there."

"Does she want to go?" Susan asked.

"No."

"Do you want her to go?" She questioned.

It took the man a moment to think about it. As he did, Susan studied him. She saw the conflict that hide in his eyes; it was something, she knew, he would not like for her to notice. "Yes." He finally decided.

Susan shook her head, trying to grasp at his answer. "Yes? Why?"

There was no hesitation when he answered again. "Because there is nothing for her here except death and despair."

Susan finally turned toward him fully at the sound of those two words. "What are you talking about? You are here for her."

Aragorn turned toward her as well, except he kept his glance slightly towards the mountains, waiting for a ghostly threat. "Susan, if she stays here, without her people, then her life will shorten. She only stays strong if she goes to the Undying Lands with the rest of the elves."

The rest of the elves, she thought, they were all leaving? Her mind drifted to Legolas and wondered if he too would be leaving their lands…forever. Susan wanted to know if this was true but she would not ask Aragorn, she could not without feeling a hint of betrayal about it.

But it turned out she would not have to ask nor ponder the question. "All the elves are leaving, Susan. Their time in Middle Earth has come to an end. They must move on."

Susan's face fell and she nodded slowly. "Well, then there is nothing we can do about that, is there? We must be strong so they can move on, am I correct?"

Aragorn smiled slightly. "Yes, that is correct." He paused for a second before coming closer to her and placing a gentle, timid hand on her shoulder. "I know everything seems impossible right now but all will be right in the end. I realize that you probably do not believe me right now but I promise you that things will be all right." He paused again. "I just wish you did not have to do this for us, Susan. It is not fair to you."

"Nor you, Aragorn." She placed her hand on top of his and patted it gently.

A tender moment passed and Susan felt slightly more comfortable with the man, like they had been before she had learned of the prophecy. They were once again friends and she believed they both understood that now.

"Aragorn?" From behind her, a female voice called. "I hope I am not interrupting anything but I must speak with you."

Susan dropped her hand from Aragorn's, at the same time he released his grip on her shoulder, and turned to see that Eoywn was standing there, wringing her hands nervously. The queen smiled at the woman. "Of course not, we were finished here I believe." She turned back to Aragorn and smiled, as well. "I shall give you two some privacy."

Aragorn nodded and Susan took her leave. But once she started walking she realized that she had nowhere to go. Since they had arrived, Peter had been in close council with Theodin and everyone else was just as busy readying them selves for the battle.

For the first time in a long while, she was utterly alone in this world and that knowledge was kind of terrifying. What was she to do? Sit and ponder how many lives would be lost in the near future? Theodin had announced that they could wait no longer and would be leaving for Gondor at dawn but she did not want to think in that way, even though it was true.

So what was left to do?

She decided to go to her tent, sit down upon her cot and pray to Aslan for their safety for this, she feared, was all she had left to do before they marched toward an unwinnable battle.

* * *

She woke in the early hours of the morning; it was not yet dawn.

The sound of a horse hooves pounding softly on the dew-covered grass outside reached her ears. A shadow passed her tent and she could not help but wonder who it was and what they were doing. Was this man trying to escape? Did he just arrive?

Susan went to the mouth of the tent and peeked out far enough to see that the man was none other than Aragorn himself, walking, not toward the exit of their encampment but the mountain barrier.

She looked around to see that no one was there and decided that something was wrong about this situation. Quickly, she went back to the cot and retrieved her weapons from below the bed before quietly leaving her tent and following the man silently.

Aragorn walked slowly in front of her; whether it was because his mission was of little importance or because he was deep in thought, she did not know. The camp was still silent as the grave and Susan knew the two would not be interrupted.

The journey continued in the same fashion until Aragorn came to the mouth of the pass between the mountains and stopped; Susan followed suit before hearing him sigh. "Go back to your tent, Susan."

He turned around to confirm that he, in fact, knew that she was there.

"Where are you going?" She asked, completely avoiding his comment.

"He's going into the pass to gather the Army of The Dead." A new voice called. Susan turned to see Gimli walking towards her with Peter by his side. "And we are going with him, Lass."

"Not this time, Gimli." Aragorn said gravely.

"Aragorn, have you not heard of the stubbornness of the Dwarves?" Legolas came from behind up with his weapons strapped to his body and a horse in tow, a slight smile was upon his lips. "We are going."

"As are we." Susan finally spoke up for herself and her brother.

It was strange, she thought, that Peter did not speak up to agree with her on the statement. She looked over at the Narnian King to see that his eyes had dropped to the ground; it was then she also noticed that he did not have his sword with him.

Quickly, she walked over to him. "You do not mean for us to go with them?" She asked.

Her brother looked up at them. "No, we will not follow…it shall just be you."

The queen's brow furrowed as she studied her brother. "What do you mean?"

Peter bit down on his lip and looked at the other men before talking hold of her arm and pulling her away from the group. He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking in a hushed tone. "Susan, I need to stay with Theodin. I am his second in command now."

Was that all he was worried about? Susan let out a deep breath of relief. "Then they shall go without us. I shall stay with you and help."

Peter's blue eyes connected with hers and shook his head. "I am afraid you are not staying with us."

The girl's heart sank. The thought of being separated from her only family in Middle Earth made her feel as if the world was crashing around her. "Why?"

Her big brother placed a warm hand on either of her shoulders, a gesture that was common for him when he wished her to listen closely. "Susan, I know you want to believe that we can win this war but, to be honest, we do not stand a chance without the Ghost Army. If you do not succeed then I fear we shall all be dead by the end of this."

"Then I should be with you, Peter!" She was frustrated now as hot tears ran down her cheeks. Panic was beginning to take over the queen's mind.

He shook his head. "Susan, if you cannot convince the army to fight for us than I want you to run and not look back…We will have failed and I do not want you to meet our inevitable fate." He took a deep breath. "I spoke with Legolas and he will make sure you do not come after us."

Her eyes flinted back to the elf that wore a look of sympathy on his elegant features. So, he had collaborated with Peter with this plan? To keep her safe even though she wanted nothing more than to stay with her family?

Susan's tears ran fast now. She could not believe what he was saying. He wanted her to run? To not look back as he died? It sounded prosperous. "And what makes you think I shall leave now then? Now that you have told me this plan?"

"Because you and I both know that if you do not go then there shall be no chance at all of surviving. It is up to the four of you to go and get the Army of the Dead and bring them to us." Peter explained rationally, in a way he knew she could not turn down.

Susan's heart was breaking, he knew that, and his was too; but, it had to be done. They were the Great Defenders and that is what they must do: defend Middle Earth in any way possible.

The next instant, Susan stepped towards her brother and wrapped him in one of her famous bone crushing hugs. He returned it with the same fierceness.

"I am scared for you, Peter." She whispered into his shoulder.

"I am scared for everyone, Susan." He whispered back. "But, still, we must do what we must do." He peeled his sister away from him and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "Now, you must go. There is no time to waste."

He pushed her in the direction of the three members of the Fellowship; Legolas and Gimli were already astride one horse and Aragorn sat on top of the other. Peter helped Susan onto the horse behind Aragorn and gave her one last small smile before his eyes turned to Aragorn.

"Take care of her." His voice was hoarse with worry already.

Susan's heart sank even more at the tone. The last time he had sounded so defeated was during their last visit to Narnia when he had to fight King Miraz; she had never seen him look so uncertain of his future since, that is, until now.

"Of course." Aragorn replied. "Good luck to you, Peter."

Peter nodded before looking back at Susan one more time. "And don't you rely on them to take care of you, Susan. Watch their back, as well. Trust me, they'll need your help." He winked up at her.

Susan smiled and nodded, also. "You make sure you watch out of Eoywn, too, Peter. She is ready for battle and I believe she will do well but it would be nice to know that someone has an eye on her."

It was Peter's turn to smile. "I shall, Susan." He paused. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Peter." Susan replied.

Aragorn gently kicked the sides of the horse and almost instantly they were in motion with Leglas and Gimli close behind them. Susan looked back at her brother as they began their journey into the puzzling mist of the mountain pass. He stayed smiling back at her and waved when she began disappearing into dense fog.

She did not turn back until he was completely out of sight, wondering if that were the last time she would ever see him.

Susan, unfortunately, felt as if it would be.

But the four continued on, not being able to dwell on the things that they could not control. What they could control, however, was making haste to the lair of the Army of the Dead and readying themselves for he inevitably trials that awaited them their.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked it! Please let me know what you think. I really do love feedback even when I do not always have time to answer back. Thank you so much for reading!**


	24. Update

Dear readers,

Hey guys, I just wanted to check in with you guys since it has been forever and a year since I have updated. I realize that you are anxiously waiting for chapter updates and I am really sorry that is taking so long but, to be honest, I haven't had ANY time to write. Since college started in September, all I have had time for is classes, homework, and working. By the time I get all of that done I am too exhausted to do much more than collapse on the couch and fall asleep to a movie. I know it sucks, I have been pissed because I can't get anything out either, but I just wanted you guys to know that I have not abandoned any of my stories and I do plan to continue updating them. It will just take me a while longer than hoped. Please stay tuned, guys, I realize it's not fair but I'm doing what I can. Thank you for your patience!

The ClassicCrime1


	25. The Sufferer and The Witness

**Hey guys! As always, I am sorry for the horribly long waiting times before updates. College has kept me super busy and there is just honestly no time to write. I probably only get a paragraph or two done every couple of days. So, I know it is really slow go and I appreciate your patience. **

**Without any further delay, here we go. **

Fog surrounded her, closing in on every side, giving Susan the feeling that someone was watching her and the men. It was an eerie feeling, she thought, believing someone was there though, logically, it was impossible because no one entered this pass. They didn't enter because it was said that no one ever came back out.

But Susan was in there, along with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, on a mission to find recruits for a battle that they would lose if help were not found. If the battle was lost, Susan knew, it would also mean that Peter would be lost. Peter…

At the moment, she hated him.

She hated him because he went off to war without her; she hated him because he could admit to himself that he more than likely would die in this battle, unlike her self. Susan could not, would not, admit that he was going to die if they failed. The thought of her big brother dying would only weaken her in this mission.

"How are you doing back there, my queen?" Aragorn's voice called over his shoulder.

"Fine," She replied back shortly.

A moment's pause followed before he spoke again. "How are you really feeling, Susan?"

The girl smiled slightly, though she did not want to admit it at the current time, her and Aragorn had been great friends during her time in Middle Earth; he knew her, her moods, and her tones of voice quite well.

"I'm nervous for Peter and the others."

"And?" He prompted, knowing that there was more on her mind than just that.

"And this pass…it is just very scary, I guess. I feel as if we are being watched and I hear…voices, whispers in the distance. It must be my mind playing tricks or something like that."

"Yes, I feel it too, lass." Gimli added, looking around. "What kind of army would linger in such a place as this?"

"One that is cursed," Legolas's voice crept eerily into the air. He looked around before continuing. "One that is cursed. Long ago the men of the mountain swore an oath to the last king of Gondor, to come to his aid, to fight. But when the time came, when Gondor's need was dire, they fled, vanishing into the darkness of the mountain. And so Isildur cursed them, never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge. Who shall call them from the gray twilight, the forgotten people?"

He spoke as if he were in a trance. He looked around like he was searching for the whispering voices Susan had heard before. Could he see the figures that voices belonged to? Susan was not quite sure but assumed it was a possibility; after all, it seemed as if the elves could do pretty much whatever they pleased in Middle Earth.

The elf's eyes looked around a moment more before he shook his head slightly and gazed in Susan's direction. He didn't smile nor look remotely pleased with her or the situation they were in but he nodded slightly as a reassurance that they would be all right.

But Susan did not respond to him; the queen was still angry at Legolas because he said that he would keep her from going to her brother's aid if they were to fail at recruiting troops. It was none of his business what she did after this; he could not, and would not, stop her when the time came for her to fight and he knew it.

The simple act of Susan ignoring him stung Legolas slightly but he did not act as if it did; his promise was the right thing to do in order to ensure Susan's safety in his mind.

Susan looked away from the elf and up the path a ways, though it was hard to see through the thick fog. She sighed and adjusted herself on the saddle, knowing that their journey would be a while longer.

But, to her surprise, it only lasted a moment more before Aragorn directed the horse to the left and down into a little side enclosure. Susan peeked around him to see that there was a small entrance into the mountain before them.

Aragorn dismounted then helped Susan jump down, before going over to entrance and staring at it. Susan ventured closer, as well, receiving a more intensely eerie feeling than she had when they were merely riding along the pass.

It seemed as if this placed spooked the horses, as well. Next thing the queen knew, the two steeds whined loudly, rearing up on their hind legs, before turning and running back down the path they had taken to get there.

"Brego!" Aragorn called after his horse but he was already long gone.

Susan took another daring step forward and began hearing whispers coming from within the cavern. It was pitch black, nothing was to be seen, but still the voices continued to vibrate through the queen's head. She could not make out what they were saying but it sent a chill down her spine.

As she stood there, the queen noted that there was an inscription on the wooden frame of the entrance. However, it was written in a language completely foreign to her. If Susan had to guess, she would say it was probably some ancient form of Elfish; all signs seemed to be in some for of Elvish in Middle Earth.

"What does it say?" She asked Legolas.

He came to stand beside her and study the words etched into the wood. "The way is shut." He said it slowly. "It was made by those who are dead and the dead keep it." He paused, scanning the message again. "The way is shut."

Susan took another step, only a foot or so from being inside the passage. She removed her bow from the place on her back and notched an arrow. She took yet another step and now stood within the doorway. Goosebumps rose on her arms but she held her ground; ghosts and legends would not frighten her when so many lives were at stake.

"The way seems open to me." She explained.

The queen turned around and looked down at Gimli, the farthest away from the door. He looked from the message to the queen and then back again. "I think I shall stay out here."

"Gimli!" Susan exclaimed, she could not believe that he was not going to go in. "You cannot be serious."

The dwarf fidgeted under her burning gaze. "Well, who in their right mind would go down there! If this is an undead army then why would we venture to them when they cannot be killed and we very well can!"

Susan looked back at Aragorn and gave him a slight smile. Legolas noticed the gesture and also that Aragorn returned it. It stung him in the chest again slightly, knowing that this is what he was going to have to endure for the rest of Susan's life; watching her with him and not being able to do a thing about it. His life was to be misery, as were hers and Aragorn's, but he could not say anything nor do anything to stop it because this was not his situation to change.

It was only Susan's and she had already made it very clear that she would not.

"Well, it seems as if we are not in our right minds then, does it not?" Aragorn questioned before looking over at Gimli and placing his smile on him. A second later, he walked past Susan and into the cavern.

Legolas also stepped up and walked past Susan in to the dark. The queen looked back to the dwarf and gave him one of her famous looks of disapproval.

Gimli's eyes widened, he sputtered, trying to get words out, before finally looking back at Susan. "An elf ventures underground when a dwarf dares not? I would never hear the end of it, would I?"

Susan shrugged. "I would say no considering it is very likely that Legolas will outlive you."

Gimli paused to think a moment before nodding. "Well, let's go, then. After you, lass."

Susan shook her head at him one more time, finding all of Gimli's fears quite ridiculous. After all, he had fought in many wars and seen many horrors; why was it so difficult for him to go into a cavern when dwarfs were meant to be below the ground?

Susan stepped past the threshold, into the darkness, and pulled the string of her bow back, ready to fire at whatever came her way.

Several steps in and she could make out the shapes of Aragorn and Legolas in front of her. Just then, Aragorn lit a torch, illuminating the narrow passage and revealing a stone cavern on their left. Susan stifled the need to gasp when she saw a pile, probably as high as her knees, of skulls. Human skulls.

The girl quickly looked away and continued after Aragorn as Legolas stopped to look at the heap. Grim stopped short of the space too and stared at the elf for moment. "What is it?" Gimli asked. "What do you see?"

Susan and Aragorn paused to listen to Legolas's response. The man looked at the skulls a moment longer before pushing on. "I see the shapes of men and of horses."

"Where?" The dwarf asked, looking around frantically.

Susan could not help but look for these shapes herself. Perhaps it was another gift of the elves to see those who resided between this world and the next-those within the veil. She had been right, then, to assume he could see and hear the voices when they were riding down the pass.

The elf looked around some more and wrinkled his forehead with slight worry in his face. "The dead are following." He paused, ignoring Gimli's question. "They have been summoned."

"The dead!" Gimli asked. "Summoned!" A pause as he turned, looking from place to place. "I knew that."

"Gimli, come on!" Susan called behind her to the cowardly dwarf. "Honestly, I thought dwarfs were supposed to comfortable underground. Is that not what you have been saying since Moria?"

The dwarf did not answer-but, instead, glared-before he hurried to catch up with the rest of the group. Aragorn led them deeper into cave as it opened into a larger room. He stepped into it and instantly a crunching noise sounded from below his feet. Aragorn's eyes darted down and shot right back up almost as quickly. He grabbed Susan's arm and pulled her closer to him, making sure she did not stray off of his path. "Do not look down." He warned.

Susan's heart raced at the advice he had given her. What could possibly be under their feet that she was not supposed to see? The girl stepped into the room and felt the rough, uneven floor crunch under her light steps. Her eyes wanted so badly to see what it was but instead she turned her eyes to Legolas who nodded at her with encouragement.

Crunching, crunching, crunching as she walked but still she did not give into the temptation to look down. Finally, they left the 'room' and the crunching stopped; Susan took a sigh of relief.

They passed through another narrow passageway before in ended in a cavern room that was ten times the size of they had just left. Half of the room had a floor; the other was a drop off to a bottomless pit. From her position by the entrance, Susan noticed that there was a stone flight of stairs off to their left that led to a large stone doorway carved within the mountainside.

The entire room had an eerie green glow about it that sent shivers down Susan's spine. Why would an army reside here? Why would they be driven into darkness and despair?

It was because of their fears to fight; they would rather die in this cave than fight for their people and their world.

The group ventured farther into the room and looked for the ghost army to appear. Nothing happened, however. There was nothing there to accompany them but the green glow and absolute silence.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Gimli shouted over the deafening silence. His voice echoed through the cavern and caused Susan to jump slightly at the sudden noise.

The next instant a laugh echoed through the room; it seemed evil and murderous to Susan's ears. The disembodied laugh finally stopped only to be replaced by words. "The way is shut." It echoed. "It was made by those who are dead and the dead keep it…the way is shut."

Susan looked around for the source of the sound; but, it seemed so distant and so close at the same time that she could not distinguish it's location. Her eyes turned to Legolas, who had a more serious look etched onto his face than normal. It was easy to see that this situation unnerved him and if he was worried then Susan knew that she should be too.

Just then, Aragorn spun around, facing the large doors in the mountainside. Susan did the same and was taken aback by what she saw: a ghoulish green figure, surrounded in mist, looking half living and half skeletal.

Legolas raised his bow and let loose an arrow at the ghost's forehead. It did little to no damage as it passed straight on through. With the knowledge that the man before them was completely invincible, Legolas began to inch his way over to Susan until he was standing slightly in front of her and next to Aragorn, shielding the queen from unfriendly eyes.

The next second, ghost warriors started appearing all around them, brandishing swords and knives. Though Susan knew the men were dead, she was quite certain that they still had the capability to kill them at any given moment; it was part of their curse to fight and, to fight, they must kill.

Susan felt her hand tighten on her bowstring though she knew it would do no good in this battle, just the feeling of the coarse string against her fingers gave her comfort as everything from her beloved Narnia did.

"I am Isildur's heir and I have come to see your oath fulfilled. If you fight for me I shall release you from this prison and your curse." He paused his strong voice to allow the leader of the ghost army to speak.

The ghost king was silent for a moment, taking in the new information that Aragorn had given to him, before he began to laugh. He laughed loudly, echoing through the mountain cavern yet again, followed by his army surrounding them.

Susan's bowstring tightened even more, bringing it to it's maximum stretch, and looked around in every direction for any sign of moment from them; but, they never did move. They just stood there laughing until their master stopped.

The cavern went silent and all eyes went to the ghost king. "The royal bloodline of Gondor was broken long ago." The ghost took steps toward Aragorn, taking out his sword in the process. His movement started out slow, then he gained speed, running faster than humanly possible. The ghost raised his sword, aiming to swing directly at Aragorn's head-

But the sword never made contact.

Susan saw Aragorn swiftly remove a shining, exquisite sword from below his cloak and stop the ghost's insubstantial sword in midair; the man grabbed the ghost's chin until a crack could be heard. "It has been remade."

Susan was at a loss as to what to say or think. How is it that he could touch that which had no body? Was it due to the fact that he was of the royal bloodline of Gondor? She assumed that it must be that.

"If you fight for me, fight for Gondor and for Middle Earth, I shall free you. What say you?" He shouted, stepping away from the leader and pointing his sword at the rest of the army. Susan noted that even though they were ghosts they still feared Aragorn and the great sword he possessed. "I am Isildur's heir, I can free you. What say you!"

There was no answer from any of the ghosts that were present. To Susan's eyes, it seemed as if they were not even considering it. They were not even looking at each other, just at Aragorn.

"Please," The queen pleaded under her breath.

They were their only hope; if the Army of the Dead were to reject Aragorn's proposal then Peter, Theodin, Eoywn, and all the others were dead. There was no other way to save them. They were their only hope…

"What say you!" Araogrn shouted once more as he circled them again with his sword drawn out far in front of him.

He paused in front of the ghost king and stared at him, as did Susan, Legolas, and Gimli.

The ghost king stared back a while before a smiled appeared on his face-he then began laughing again.

One by one, the ghost army started disappearing just as mysteriously as they had appeared.

"No!" Susan shouted, knowing they had rejected. "Please, help us!" She took a step towards them but was held back by Legolas; he grabbed her arm and held the girl close to his chest to keep her from going after something she could not kill but could kill her.

"Wait! I am Isildur's heir. I can free you! You have my word!" Aragorn shouted after the dematerializing beings.

And then, they were all gone.

No one left.

No one to help.

Susan breathed heavily, as if she had just run for miles, at the thought of what they meant. They were finished, done for.

Her eyes rose to look at Aragorn who's held the same degree of despair and disappointment that hers had.

Suddenly, a rumbling began under their feet, stalling their thoughts and feelings of defeat. Susan turned around to the doors and saw that small pebbles were being shaken loose from the cavern walls around the large doors. She took a step away from Legolas to get a closer look at what was happening before them. The small pebbles turned into larger ones until she saw a chuck fly out of the wall, raining skeletons down before them.

"Run!" Aragorn called as the skeletons filled the room and began to pour down into the large, dark abyss as if it were a waterfall.

Soon enough, the skeletons were crushing against Susan-they were up to her waist and almost impossible to move through without being carried away-and she held her arms up as she reattached her bow to her back. She saw Legolas and Aragorn before her and turned back to see only the top of Gimli's head behind her.

"Gimli!" She shouted, reaching back to grab him. "Take my hand!"

The dwarf did as asked and grabbed Susan's hand. She began to tug him along behind her but he was too heavy and the skeletons were pushing them too close to the edge. She was could only drag him so far before she felt her fingers give way and lose Gimli in the pile. Just when she thought that the dwarf was done for, she saw Legolas fly past her and grab him from the depths of the skulls. He held most of the dwarf above the sea of bones and grabbed Susan's hand with his free one.

The three fought their way through to a small opening that Aragorn was waiting at, out of the way of the destructive skulls. A moment later, their feet touched ground that was not rolling beneath them and where they were free of the bones. Once they were all out, Aragorn ran down the long, dark corridor until finally a small light appeared.

It grew larger and larger as they neared it, until finally Susan realized it was not just a light-it was daylight.

Seconds later, the four of them burst forth from the mountain and into the open air. They stood for a moment, looking out at the sea before them, and saw that a fleet of ships was coming into the harbor. Were they friend? Were they foe? Susan could not tell. Her eyes drifted down to Gimli who shook his head at her, indicating who these ships belonged to without needing to speak it: they were, indeed, enemies and they were quite numerous.

At the sight of the ships, Aragorn collapsed to his knees, shook his fists in the air, and screamed at the top of his lungs; it was a sign of utter defeat. Just then, the elf came up to Susan and put a gentle hand on her shoulder to comfort her. For he knew exactly what she knew and exactly what she was feeling.

"There is no hope, is there?" Susan asked Legolas in an emotionless tone. "We cannot save them."

Her blue eyes turned back to the elf that only looked down at her with grief in his eyes to answer. She nodded slightly before looking back down at the ships. Without thinking, she walked away from the elf and recovered her bow and an arrow from her back. The queen notched the arrow and began going down the hill, towards the ships. "Well, we have to do something."

She made it only five feet before Legolas descended upon her and grabbed her by the arms. "You are not going to do anything."

Susan spun to look at him, setting him with her glaring eyes. "Try and stop me. If I cannot succeed in getting the Army of the Dead then the least I can do is decrease the number of warriors who are going to try and kill my brother along with the rest of our friends."

The elf's eyes narrowed. "I promised King Peter that I would keep you away from this battle if the worse should happen."

Susan's eyes narrowed even more than Legolas'. "I did not make any such promise that I would stay away so I am going. You are not in charge of me, Legolas."

The queen tried to walk away from the elf but he gripped her shoulders tightly and would not let go. "Legolas, let go of me right this instant." She said sternly, trying to keep her temper in check.

"No, I made a promise and I intend to keep it."

"Legolas, let go of me!" The anger and defeat that she was feeling boiled over and was being taken out by the closest person to her. What Legolas needed to do was release her and just let her do what she needed to do.

"No, Susan."

She then began hitting his chest, anger and grief consumed her as she realized that there was no chance for them or for her brother and the rest of their troops. "Let go of me!" She fought, hitting him again. In response, Legolas only pulled her closer to his chest, keeping her fists tight to her and comforting her at the same time. Susan still tried to fight but she soon lost momentum, succumbing to tears as the weight of their situation sunk into her. She buried her face in Legolas's chest and cried. "We failed them. We failed them all."

The elf patted her back; there was nothing he could do or say that could make her feel better. She just cried, letting the crushing defeat take over her.

_Aslan, where are you? Why won't you help us? Why won't you help Peter when you were the one who sent us here? Why did you make us come to this place when there was nothing here for us but death and despair? _

The questions went on and on in her head until her sadness faded and angry returned; she was not going to let this happen to the whole of Middle Earth. It was not an option. Susan lifted her head from Legolas's chest and looked up into his blue eyes. She smiled slightly before stepping away from him and turning back to the mountain.

"I am going back in." Her words were directed at Aragorn now. The man, still on his knees, looked up at her with a confused expression on his face. "I will not take no for an answer, Aragorn…I just cannot."

Without another word, Susan stomped passed him and re-notched an arrow in her bow. The queen was willing to use force when talking to the ghost army if the need arose; if they wanted to play rough then that is what she shall do.

"Susan-" She heard Aragorn say from behind her.

The queen spun back to him and glared. "I am not asking your permission," Her eyes went to Legolas who was still standing where she had left him, his face sullen. "I am not asking for permission from either of you. Either you are coming with me or you are not. Take your pick, I shall be inside."

The girl spun back around, readying to dive right back into the cavern, when she was confronted by the eerie ghost figure that had first appeared to them within the mountain-it was the leader of the army.

The ghost looked down at her with a humorless smile on his face. "No need to reenter our home, my lady." His eyes left her to go back to Aragorn. "We fight."

**Okay, so I hope you liked it! It probably isn't once of my best-since I am rushing to get the chapter out to you without wasting time editing and such-but I hope you liked it just the same. Once again, I'd like to thank you for your patience and I hope I'll be able to get another chapter out soon. Tell me what you think if you feel inspired to! Thanks for reading! **


	26. The Here and The Now

**Hey guys! As always, I am sorry for the horribly long waiting times before updates. College has kept me super busy and there is just honestly no time to write. I probably only get a paragraph or two done every couple of days. So, I know it is really slow go and I appreciate your patience. **

**Without any further delay, here we go.**

* * *

**Peter's POV:**

Peter stood inside the walls of the White City, watching as the army outside catapulted large boulders into the buildings, causing bits and pieces of stone to fall into the chaotic streets. The people were running up from the lower levels of the city built into the mountain towards the upper levels where the elite lived and where the enemy's attack could not reach them.

On the other hand, Peter stood next to Theodin on the walkway of the outer wall, waiting to make their defensive move against the forces of Mordor. The oldest Pevesnie watched as the king's thoughts raced by him, all visible in his eyes as he tried to deduce what could be done.

"Orders, My Lord?" Peter asked finally, after yet another boulder found it's way into the City, taking at least twenty of their men down with the building it had lodged it's self into. Peter pursed his lips and took a deep breath; they were taking too long to make their move. What could King Theodin be waiting for, he wondered?

Theodin finally looked over to the Narnian king. "They are bringing up the ladders."

Peter looked back over the edge to see what the man was talking about. The man expected to see the same kind of ladders that they had encountered in Helm's Deep: rickety things that only held one or two orcs at a time. But the ladders his eyes met now were a completely different thing; they were as large as a five story building in London, tall and think.

The king wondered why they had such large structures when they were such easy targets. Just as he watched, he saw two taken down by their soldiers who were firing boulders back at the enemy.

"Do not let the ladders anchor!" Theodin shouted. "Take them down!"

The archers on the front lines began firing arrow after arrow at the structure but it was no use because it seemed to be made of metal. One ladder several hundred feet down from the position that Peter was in, finally made it to the wall and anchored. Within seconds, orcs and urah kai soldiers began to pour out from it; it seemed as if it were a never-ending flow of soldiers who had made it into the city.

It was then that Peter realized the structures' purpose: they were penetrating the city, hoping to overwhelm those within it enough to open the unbreakable gates. The man drew his treasured sword and gripped it tightly.

"Peter," His named was called by Theodin. The man turned to see the king giving him a slight smile. "This is your time, Peter. Make sure this battle is ours."

Peter felt the significance radiate from the King's words and knew exactly what he was trying to say. He was telling Peter goodbye for he did not believe that he would live through this. _This time is yours, Peter. _He was to prove himself then, prove himself worthy of being the king of Rohan.

The Pevensie nodded his head firmly, setting his jaw tightly and strongly in place. "I won't let you down, My Lord. I promise you that."

Theodin smiled again and nodded. "That's a good lad…" He paused, checking his words. "That's a good King…a good Defender…our only hope."

Peter nodded before turning back to the action, waiting either for the orc soldiers to descend upon him from one of the ladder structures or from further down the walkway; either way, he would be in the midst of battle very soon.

Their forces were completely outnumbered, Peter knew that, but he had faith that Susan and the others would come through. For if he did not believe that, there would be no hope for lasting the night. Susan was looking out for him, as she always had despite being the younger of the two, and she would come through.

_And if she does not? _The words rang through Peter's head, the only flitting feeling of doubt that he had let escape into his conscious.

_ If she does not then at least I die knowing that my siblings will live. All will not be lost. _

It was then that Peter saw an orc carving his way through the crowd of soldiers, looking to make way to the stairs and, ultimately, the gate. Peter raised his gleaming sword of Narnia and began his charge, followed by the men that followed his command.

This battle was happening, there was no going back from it now, all he had to do was hold on until Susan and the other's arrived with reinforcements.

_Just hold on…_

Peter's sword made contact with the first of his enemies and then he had no time to think, just fight.

* * *

**Susan's POV:**

Susan felt a hand on the small of her back as she stood on the shore by where the enemy pirate ships were to land. She held her bow tightly to her chest and watched as the ships- looking suspiciously similar to those that belonged to Prince Rabadash and his country of Calormen-neared closer and closer to their spot on the pebble beach. The touch startled her, seeing as none of them had talking in over an hour since the Ghost Army's leader left them to rally his troops, and she jumped slightly as she looked over to see Legolas looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"My apologizes, I did not mean to give you a fright."

She nodded but turned back to the waters; she did not want to talk to Legolas now, she had just been lost in thoughts of her elder brother and what dangers he was facing at the moment.

"I just want you to know, what I did back there by stopping you, I do not regret it." He explained.

Susan's jaw tightened in anger; she could not even look at the elf now. "That is good to know. Thank you."

She could see from the corner of her eye that he was about to open his mouth to speak again and she spun to him, not wanting to hear what he had to say. "Thank you, Legolas. I appreciate the fact that you would rather honor my brother's wishes instead of my own. I can clearly see where your allegiances lie. Now, if you mind not touching me again that would be excellent considering the fact that we are about to be engaged in battle and you are distracting me."

She turned away from him and went to stand in between Aragorn and Gimili so she would not be tempted to speak again. The four of them had to focused on what was about to transpire, not on the anger that she felt for the elf that coddled her because her big brother instructed it.

"Susan-"

The words came from Aragorn now and, still furious, she spun at him.

"What is it now? Are you going to yell at me for being mean? Or are you going to instruct me to behave like I am some child, Aragorn? Well, I just am going to let you all know that I am in charge of my actions. Not you," She pointed to Legolas, "Or you," She then pointed to Gimili, "Or you." Her finger landed on Aragorn last and she noted that the man was smiled.

"What?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I was just going to tell you that you should notch an arrow in your bow…that is when you are done not being a child."

The anger left her then and she felt nothing more than agonizing embarrassment. She had not lashed out at a group of people like that since she was ten years old and her parents told her that she was not allowed to go to a party with them that evening.

"Oh, well thank you." Her voice was quiet as she took the arrow from the sheath and latched it into place.

All was quiet for a few more seconds until she heard snickering coming from Aragorn's direction. The man was laughing, actually laughing, at her outburst. He found this to be terribly funny despite the fact that they were waiting to attack a band of at least several hundred pirates.

Susan could not help but smile for, despite the bad timing, she cannot remember the last time she had seen Aragorn laugh. She nudged the man in his shoulder with her own. "Oh, shut up."

The boats were now upon them and Aragorn's laughter disappeared under his serious look of determination. When they were close enough, he yelled to the boat. "You may go no further!" When he knew he had the full attention of the closest boat, he spoke again. "You will not enter Gondor."

The man Susan assumed to be the captain of the boat stood up and came to rest against the rail that was closest to them on the shore. He was a burly looking man, Susan deduced, every inch a pirate from what she had seen in paintings and read in books. He snarled at the group of four before shouting back. "Who are you to deny us passage?"

"Legolas," Aragorn spoke quietly. "Fire a warning shot past the boson's left ear. Susan, you take the right one."

The queen nodded slightly as she took up her bow at the same time Legolas did.

"Mind your aim." Gimili whispered to both of them.

Susan rolled my eyes at his comment and kept concentration. At the same second, Legolas and the queen let loose our arrows. Susan's whizzed right past the man, as instructed an earning a flinch from the pirate. Legolas's, however, found itself lodged in the chest of the man on the boson's right. The woman looked over to see that Legolas was glaring daggers at Gimli, leading her to believe that that poor shot was not his own. "Gimli," Susan moaned.

The dwarf fidgeted for a moment under her gaze before speaking. "Right, well you have been warned. Prepare to be boarded."

The men on the boats began laughing then, making Susan want to hit Gimli upside the head from ruining the plot. Finally, the leader called to shore. "Oh, yeah? You and what army?"

"This army." Susan registered Aragorn's voice whisper.

And then they were there, the Army of the Dead, transparent and greenish, as they ran forth from the mountain behind the four members of the Fellowship and ran over the water to being their attack on the pirates. The men of the seas did not even have time to understand what was happening to them before the ghosts were there, swords in their hands, and plunging them into their chests and throats.

Just as quickly as they attacked, the Army of the Dead stopped and retreated from the ships-because everyone who had been on board before hand was now dead or close to it. Susan could not believe the destruction that had just transpired in the amount of time it would take her to launch only three arrows.

The king of the army came up to stand in front of them and glared, as always. "Now, where?"

"The White City." Aragorn answered simply.

The ghost nodded and retreated back to his men to tell them what they are doing next. Susan took a deep breath, knowing that this was only the beginning of their struggles today.

"I wish we did not need them." Susan explained quietly. "They are not the nicest of people. It is almost as if they are going to turn on us at any second."

"They will not betray us, Susan." Aragorn reassured. "I have what they need to be free and they would not dare risking an eternity this way now that they have found out they do not have to. They will play their part well."

"Hopefully, there are still enough men there to play _their _part. I do not want to owe these ghosts anything when this is said and done." Gimli interjecting, leaving a knot in the pit of Susan's stomach.

Susan saw as Aragorn shoved the dwarf roughly, causing him to sputter as he tried to understand what he did wrong. Finally, he looked over at the Narnian queen with wide eyes, unbelieving of what he had just uttered.

"Oh, lass, I did not mean…" His words cut off when he realized the depth of the damage he had just caused to Susan's soul.

_Peter… _The name echoed through her mind.

She glared down at the dwarf and shook her head at him for saying such a thing. After all, the others had probably just arrived in Gondor the morning before; they could not be wiped out so quickly, could they? The army was strong, especially with Theodin and Peter leading them. Surely with the help of the soldiers already in Gondor they had enough troops to keep the enemy away until the four of them arrived with back up.

Suddenly, she wasn't so sure.

Susan walked away from the four men and towards the shore, reading herself to board the ship that the ghost men were steering closer to shore. The queen's thoughts stayed with her brother, silently praying that he could hold on a while longer while they came to his aid.

_We are coming. We will there soon. Hold on, Peter._

* * *

**Peter's POV:**

They had done it, they had broken through the large and seemingly impenetrable front gate and drove their men further and further back in the city. They were trapped, sitting ducks, in their position now.

Peter watched as men tried to block the newest gate they had been driven behind, trying to find anything to stop the wave of orcs that crashed down upon them at every minute. By the looks of it, Peter could see their newest position would be taken from them in a matter of a one hour or less.

He sat close to the action, barking orders every few seconds, as a man trapped a clean white bandage around his torso. Peter had been wounded and was now bleeding a fairly good amount.

It was his own fault and he hated himself for being so thoughtless. He had been battling an orc and was not paying attention to his surroundings when another came up behind him and sliced his hip-deep. At least it was just a flesh wound. Thank Aslan it was not any worse than that.

He wiped his hands across his face, ridding it of some of the dirt and blood that was mixing with his sweat and stinging his eyes. Peter looked back up and saw that Gandalf was now riding on his horse toward their newest barricade. He looked around until he saw Peter and came over to him.

"How are you faring?" He asked.

Peter shrugged. "I must admit that I have been better, Gandalf, but I am faring alright." The Narnia King smiled then winced.

Gandalf nodded before looking back to the gate where men were still trying to put more and more objects in front of it, putting as much between them and the orcs on the other side. The old man sighed. "We cannot keep running. We must face them head on."

"Shouldn't we wait for Susan and Aragorn? They could be on their way-" Peter's words were cut off by a look from Gandalf.

"I think we both know if they were coming they would be here by now, lad." The wizard said the words softly, as if not wanting the others to hear.

Peter sighed, knowing that he was right. All day the idea of Susan, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas not showing up was in the back of his mind but he had not allowed himself the time to dwell on it for there were many more pressing things to attend to. But, now that he knew they were not coming, doubt landed in the pit of his stomach.

These soldiers were alone in this; the backup they were promised was not coming.

They were all going to die.

And Peter was not being merely negative, no. He was being realistic. There were at least ten thousand orcs and urak hai and only two thousand Gondor soldiers. Without the Ghost Army, they would fail and fail quickly. The most they could hope for is to take out as many of their enemies as they possibly could in the process so that others in the resistance could take up arms and fight the fight they could not win.

The man was done cleaning and wrapping Peter's wound, so Peter stood up despite the man's protests. He came close to Gandalf and looked at him intently with serious blue eyes. "What do we need to do?" He asked.

Gandalf sighed and slid down from his perch atop the horse. He leaned heavily on his white staff as he came closer to the Narnian King. "Ride out and meet them, just as we did in Rohan. Drive them from the city and it's people for as long as we can."

Peter nodded. "Does Theodin know of this plan?"

"He already approved it and is readying the rest of the men." Gandalf explained.

Peter nodded again and took a deep breath. "Well, then we do not have much time, do we? I will give instruct to the men at the gate."

It was Gandalf's turn to nod as Peter walked away from him and towards them men still trying to stack objects to block the orcs. He knew that this was a suicide mission; they all knew it. But he held comfort in knowing that Susan would be all right, that she would survive. It was not much to help them now, but he kept the though close to him as if it were a shield protecting him from all that planted doubt within his heart.

He explained what the newest plan of attack was too the men, all who wore looks that knew they would not survive this also, but they nodded and went to prepare themselves. It was then that someone brought him a white horse, similar to Shadowfax, and he mounted it. Slowly, the men mounted steads and took position behind him and Theodin, waiting for their call to attack. Peter looked over at Theodin who nodded a reassurance to the Narnian King, a gesture that Peter returned.

Two men went to the gates, taking down the objects blocking it, until nothing but a solitary plank of wood kept it barred. The men stood in front of it, looking back at Theodin for the cue to remove it. Peter kept an eye on the king from the corner of his vision. The graying man raised his hand and dropped it down forcefully to his side. The two men removed the wooden plank and stepped to the side as a wave of orcs came crashing into the area. Peter raised his sword for the charge and instantly they were carving their way through the ranks, hoping to make it to battlefield outside the city gates to keep the enemy at bay…at least, for a while.

* * *

**Susan's POV:**

They were almost there now; Susan could see the large, beautiful city on the horizon. But something was seriously wrong here and she knew it. From this distance, it seemed as if the city was calm and quiet, cool and collected, but Susan knew that was not the case in the slightest.

Because there was a war waging there, bloody and deadly, one that many will not escape from. Susan was seated on the closest boat to the shore, waiting impatiently for them to finally make it. She wanted nothing more than to jump over board and swim ashore- after all, she was an excellent swimmer, she had swam farther distances than this-but she knew that would put them in danger.

There were orcs waiting at the docks for the 'pirates' to arrive…but they were all dead and the ghost army was the one in command of the fleet now. And if Susan sprang up too quickly it could spell disaster for the not only the four of them but also for the troops in the city. A scout could escape perhaps, and alert the enemy to retreat.

This had to end now, Susan knew that, and she would not risk letting the forces of Mordor get away despite how much she wanted to see everyone. It not only was Peter that she wished to see but Theodin, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, and Eowyn; she had to see all of them before she would feel at easy. Until that time came, however, she would fight as hard as she could, pour everything she was into it. Keeping her mind clear and focused was key to saving those she cared about.

The boats were now near the shore, she could hear as the bottom scrapped lightly on the water's floor, and the sound of a voice shouting reached her ears.

"About time, you pirate scum!" It yelled aboard. "You were supposed to be here hours ago!"

Susan's eyes went over to Aragorn who nodded at her before jumping up and over the side of the ship. Susan, Legolas, and Gimli followed suit, holding their weapons high and ready for action.

"May the best man-" He paused. "Or woman win."

He was referring to the wager then? Susan thought. They would be keeping tabs, then, on their kills. Good, another distraction.

Before she even had time to notch one of her red feathered arrows, the ghost army surrounded, then passed her, making their way towards the widen eyed orcs before them and beyond, onto the battlefield that Susan noticed was stained a bright blood red and littered with fallen bodies.

It was worse than she thought. More blood had been spilled that she ever could have imagined. It broke the Gentle Queen's heart broke instantly, knowing that even if they won the country would have a great deal of difficulty recovering from their losses. Those poor families of those poor men who had died…

Susan channeled her heart break and turned it into searing anger as she aimed at the orc nearest her and let loose an arrow right into the thing's right eye socket. She knew the creature was dead before it even hit the ground. She reached back and readied another arrow into her bow.

This newfound anger propelled the queen forward, taking enemy after enemy down until she finally reached the main battlefield. She stopped a second, taking in her surrounding, and noticed that their were massive elephants coming into view and making their way towards the city. Were there people atop of them? It looked to Susan as if they were; they were bringing more enemy troops into the battle.

It was then that she knew what she had to do. Quickly, Susan took four arrows and notched them to the bowstring, she ran with the arrows poised and ready, over to the incredibly large animal. It was only a few hundred yards from her now.

The queen took a deep breath and ran at the beast as fast as she could until she was running along side of it. She waited a moment, keeping pace with it, until she decided to go under the animal, running in between all of his massive flanks. Susan's legs began to tire quickly and she knew she must kill the beast now before they gave way completely.

She took her bow and pointed it up at the gray flesh, where she believe spot it's heart resided, and let lose all four arrows into the exact same spot on it's chest. The create cried out in pain, rearing up on its hind legs in the process. Susan saw several men fall behind her, seemingly shaken loose from their spot atop the elephant.

Without thinking, Susan swiftly replaced her bow onto her back and removed the two swords she wore on the belt around her waist. Reaching out to both side, she sliced the creatures hind legs and saw as think, read blood began to ooze instantly. The creature roared again and did not hesitate as it began falling to the ground.

Instinctively, Susan hurled herself to the side, out of the projected area of the beast's fall. She landed hard on her side, feeling a stinging pain admit from the area of impact, before looking up to see that the elephant had indeed fallen onto it's back, crushing all those who rode on top of it. She stood up and smiled; Susan knew she had taken out at least fifty enemy soldiers by killing the elephant creature.

She turned around, back to the action, just in time to see that Legolas was taking on his own elephant; however, his plan of attack was much different than Susan's. The queen watched as he climbed up the beast, made his way to it's head-killing soldiers in the process by cutting the basket from the elephant's back and having them fall to their deaths-before shooting two arrows into the creautre's head. As her's did, the massive elephant cried in pain before beginning to fall to earth.

Legolas sailed down the creature's trunk, landing gracefully on the ground as the elephant landed, dead on the ground behind him. He stood ten feet from Susan, took a deep breath and shook his head.

Susan smiled now, feeling ridiculous for killing the beast in the way she had after the elf's marvelous display.

"Those still only count as one!"

Susan spun back around to see that Gimli was standing a way's away from the two; he clearly had seen both archers take down the elephants.

Susan laughed. "If you believe that will make the odds in your favor, Gimli, I will humor you!"

The queen notched another arrow and threw herself back into the fray. She shot several opponents who came her way until she made it to the middle of the combat where she was forced to secure her bow on her back and take out the two swords that Aragorn had given her all that time ago on their trip to Rivendell.

An orc was coming for her from her left, swinging his barbaric sword above his head. She noted that another was headed her way from behind; they were both only ten feet from here and would be there at the same time. Thinking quickly, Susan took one of her arrows from her sheath and flung it into the neck of the orc coming from the left. She managed to hit him just before she had to spin around and plunge her sword under the other orc's armor and into his heart.

The queen had a feeling that someone was coming for her from behind again. She spun, about ready to stab her blood soaked sword into her next enemy soldier, when she paused mere inches from slicing the head of a small figure.

She gasped as she raised the helmet to see his eyes, just to make sure.

"Pippin!" She exclaimed as she realized that it truly was the small hobbit.

The red headed boy smiled. "Miss Susan!"

Their greeting was cut short by an urah kai coming towards them. Susan took her bow back out and shot an arrow in his direction, managing to lodge it in the creature's forehead. She looked back down at the hobbit that stood close to her skirts, his tiny hand clutching a tiny sword fit for a child.

"Pippin, have you seen anyone? Peter or Gandalf, perhaps?" The queen's voice was urgent, wanting to know where they were, wanting to know that they were still alive.

Another enemy, this time a man, attempted to take them but Susan picked him off along with three others easily; the troops were thinning now, meaning that the ghost army had done their job, and done it well.

"I haven't seen them in several hours, Susan." The girl's heart sunk as she shot another arrow and almost missed its intended target entirely. "Have you seen Merry?"

Susan paused and looked down at the hobbit. "Merry? He was not supposed to fight. Why would he be here?"

Pippin shook his head. "You obviously do not know Merry if you think he would stay behind and let me have all the fun." The hobbit smiled then causing Susan to shake her head. Leave it up to those two hobbits to turn war into contest about who is getting more privileges.

"I am sorry but I have not seen them." Susan said, looking over the battlefield to see if she could make out any of her friends faces among those fighting. Her eyes scanned until she came across a figure that seemed very different from all the others on the field, it was smaller and thinner.

The person was running towards…a man laying on the ground before a black figure that had haunted Susan's dreams since her arrival in Middle Earth: it was a Ring Wreath, atop a large monster. The person stepped in front of the fallen man and held their sword out in front of them, trying to protect their fallen comrade.

Susan squinted a little more into the bright afternoon sun until she realized exactly who these two figures were: Eoywn and Theodin.

"Pippin, stay here!" She called to the hobbit as she began to run towards her friends.

The queen ran as fast as she could, watching the whole scene unfold with her very eyes. She watched as Eowyn stood in front of the beast-some sort of dragon by the looks of the black monster- yelling at the Wreath to leave him alone. Then the Nazgul said something, something too low for Susan's ears to pick up, before the monster it rode on hissed and moved against Eowyn.

"Eowyn!" Susan cried out as she moved closer and closer to them, still she was so far way though. From her view, it looked as if the beast had swallowed her. It was not until Susan saw a sword appear over the beast's head and begin chopping at that she realized the woman of Rohan was still alive…and fighting.

Susan ran a little faster.

After her encounter with the Ring Wreaths she knew that the odds were not in Eoywn's favor: the Nazgul never fell and never gave up once they had prey in their minds.

The beast fell over, still wiggling, bringing the rider down with it. Almost instantly, the Nazgul stood up and turned to Eowyn. The woman raised her sword and readied herself for a fight.

Susan was so entranced by the happenings of her friends, that she barely had time to notice that there was an enemy orc coming her way. She raised her bow and shot an arrow at it's throat, making her target. Then another was upon her from her right.

The creature was close so she swung her bow up into his chin, removed the small dagger from the sleeve of her dress, and stabbed the creature in the throat, which seemed the easiest point of weakness for which to kill them. She took the knife from the creature's throat and started running again.

Eowyn and the Wreath were not locked in a battle; he using a flail and she with her sword. The woman of Rohan shrank against his attack, trying her hardest to fight him off.

The sight terrified Susan because she knew that Eowyn was not prepared to handle a duel such as this.

Just then, the Witch King swung his flail against the woman's wooden shield, managing to shatter it into a hundred tiny pieces. Eoywn fell, a look of pain playing across her face, and Susan had a feeling that this fight was ending-soon.

Quickly, Susan stopped and notched an arrow just as the Wreath took hold of Eoywn by the neck. He held her up, choking her, and hissed something Susan could not hear. Without another thought, Susan aimed the arrow at the Nagul's arm and let loose her arrow. Just as it hit the creature's wrist, Susan saw a small figure-was that Merry, she saw?- stabbed the Witch King in the back of the calf. The hobbit grabbed his wrist and cried out in pain just as a smoke cloud admitted from the wound as Eoywn fell to the ground and reached for her sword.

"Merry!" Susan cried and began to run again.

Eoywn stood, now taller than the Witch King, and removed her helmet.

Susan was there now, right next to the woman, with a hand on her back for support. They both stared into the hollowness of the Witch Kings face, an eerie hollowness that sent a chill down Susan's spine. Eowyn looked briefly over at Susan and nodded. "We are no men."

Just then, she screamed and drew the sword deep into the blackness inside the Witch King's helmet. An energy field of some sort rushed from around the Nagul's body and went to where the sword rested in it's skull. Just then, an energy pulse radiated from it's body pushing both Susan and Eoywn to the ground as they watch the Witch King crumble and deflate into nothing more than a pile of clothes before them.

Susan felt dizzy now, because of the force of the strange energy blow, but she knew better than to stop fighting now.

This was battle was almost over and she wanted to be there to help finish. She looked over at Eowyn and Merry, both conscious but dazed as she was. The queen told them to stay there, where most of the fighting had subsided, while she grabbed her discarded bow and stumbled back out into the thick of it all, knowing she had to hold on for only a while more.

**Okay, so I hope you liked it! I'm still not sure about my skills writing battle scenes but I hope it was okay. Once again, I'd like to thank you for your patience and I hope I'll be able to get another chapter out soon. Tell me what you think if you feel inspired to! Thanks for reading! **


	27. Coming Undone

**Hey guys! Here's a new chapter for ya! I think these last two updates have come a little faster or am I just making that up? Anyway, I'm off of school for the next month (YES!) and I should be able to get a lot of writing done. Now, I'm not sure about this chapter so bear with me. Okay, here we go!**

Susan ran, feeling dizzy, but still managing to shoot an arrow every now and then; they were not perfect shots but they were at least hitting the intended targets and wounding them. She continued on in this fashion for some time as she searched for any sign of a friendly face.

First, Susan headed in the direction of where she had left Pippin but the hobbit was nowhere to be found. She then attempted to locate Legolas, Gimili, or Aragorn, thinking that it would be easier to spot them because she knew what they were wearing but it was no use to find them either. Lastly, she scanned the almost quiet field with intent on finding her brother or Gandalf.

Still, her eyes spotted nothing and her head was growing foggier by the moment. Would she not find anyone? Would she ever know the safety of those she cared most about?

_ Aslan, please give my mind peace. _She thought.

The queen did a quick spin around, taking in the entire battlefield and deducing that the battle was, in fact, over now because of the Ghost Army; they had fulfilled their oath and for that Aragorn would free them.

With the knowledge that the fighting was done for the moment, Susan could not fight it anymore, allowed herself to succumb to the darkness that tugged on her mind and felt as she fell unconscious before her body even hit the ground.

* * *

_Susan was in another place, now. Somewhere new but very familiar, she gathered. She was on a ship in the middle of a wide, expansive blue ocean. The warm, salty breeze kissed her cheeks and she closed her eyes as she allowed the warmth to overtake her. The queen took a deep breath and she knew instantly where she was: Narnia. _

_ Susan's eyes shot open, a big smile playing across her lovely face, and looked up to see her suspicion confirmed. On the tall mast fly a Narnian flag-red with a golden lion-proudly in the wind. She had come back!_

_ But wait; did Aslan not say that she was never to return to Narnia? That she had learned all she could from that world? Why was Susan there now then? _

_ The girl walked around the walkway more, away from the front of the ship and towards the main part of the deck, to see that she was not alone there. A whole crew of Narnian sailors were busy at work below her, securing ropes, mopping the decks, stirring the ship, and rowing. _

_ But these sailors were not all unfamiliar. Oh no, she saw some faces she recognized very well. _

_ Susan took the steps down to the main deck and saw the mouse, Reepicheep, standing there arguing with…her cousin, Eustace? _

_ "Eustace? What are Earth are you doing here?" She asked, coming to stand beside the two, but they did not respond. "Eustace?" She tried again, this time waving her hand in front of her cousin's face but still there was no indication that he heard her. _

_ Susan pursed her lips as she turned away from them to observe more of what was going on around her. To her right was the back of the large ship where there stood none other than her brother, Edmund, sister, Lucy, and the man she never expected to see again-Caspian. _

_ Susan ran to them, then. Beyond excited to see her younger siblings alive and well. Oh, how she had been worrying about them while she and Peter were in Middle Earth! It was always in the back of her mind that Edmund and Lucy had somehow found themselves in the midst of the war that the oldest Pevensies were now consumed by but now she realized that they were safely in Narnia with Caspian. _

_ "Edmund? Lucy? Can you hear me?" She asked, stopping next to her little sister. _

_ Just like Eustace and Reepicheep, they were not responding to her presence there. _

_ "We are almost upon the island now. Go ashore for supplies and check the land for any sign of the lost lord and his sword." Caspian's voice reached her ears and she turned to him. _

_ The man was handsome, as he always had been, but seemed to have aged several years since she had seen him last. He looked well, besides the slight unruliness of his hair and the stubble on his chin, and that made Susan happy. She wanted Caspian well, just as she knew he wished her to be. _

_ "I'll go inform the crew to prepare the long boats." Edmund explained, walking straight through Susan in the process. _

_ Susan spun around, surprised that her younger brother could do that without even realizing she was there. But once she turned, Susan saw the last of persons she expected to see. _

_ Aslan stood next to the steering wheel, a strong golden glow surrounding him, as was his usual. _

_ "Hello, dear one." He said to her in his deep, soothing voice. _

_ Susan tilted her head to the Great Lion but smiled nonetheless. A visit from Aslan was welcome no matter how strange the time or place may be. "Aslan, oh, it is so good to see you!" Susan exclaimed as she rushed to give the lion a hug. She quickly wrapped her arms around his wide neck before taking a step back and examining him. " But, I don't understand, what am I doing in Narnia? I thought I was not coming back." _

_ "You are not in Narnia, Susan." He said, nodding to Caspian, Lucy, and Edmund behind her. The queen turned to study them as Aslan did. "This is only a vision of Narnia. On the battlefield you wished to have peace of mind, to know that those you love are safe. Though I could not show you what was happening in Middle Earth, I did have to power to allow you to see your brother, sister, cousin, and also your friends. They are safe, Susan, and are learning what they must during their time here."_

_ "They're safe." Susan repeated. "That is wonderful news. Both Peter and I have been so worried about them." Susan paused, looking down at her hands as she thought about how odd it was that two of her siblings were safe while the other could be dead or dying. Edmund and Lucy were learning lessons and growing into adults, but what were Susan and Peter doing in Middle Earth? She understood the prophecy, that they were the Great Defenders, but it still seemed strange to her that the safety of an entire world was in their hands._

_ "What is it, my queen?" Aslan asked. _

_ Susan looked up at him and smiled slightly. "I do not mean to question your judgment, Aslan, but I just do not fully understand why you sent us to Middle Earth." _

_ "You are there to aid in the bringing of freedom to those who are oppressed and in pain, just as you did when you and your siblings came to help Caspian free the Narnians." The Great Lion explained. _

_ Susan nodded. "But why just us? Why not Edmund and Lucy? Or all four of us? We have always been stronger together. Why is this put on my and Peter's shoulders? I am truly happy to help Middle Earth, Aslan, really. I have grown quite attached to those that occupy those lands and I know there is good there, but I do not understand why it needed to be Peter and I." _

_ Aslan paused a moment, waiting to answer her question. Susan knew that he was not pondering her question, for she was positive he already knew his answer, but to make her think about it herself. _

_ "Susan, were you happy in your world?" The lion answered her question with a question of his own. _

_ The girl shook her head. "No, not particularly." She admitted. _

_ "Why do you think that is, dear one?" _

_ Susan paused and looked back over at her younger brother and sister, talking over plans for taking to the island that they had spoken of earlier with Caspian. "Because I was not making a difference there, Aslan. I was just…existing, going through the motions of life but having no impact on anyone or anything." _

_ "And Peter felt the same way?" _

_ Susan nodded. "We were both most unhappy that we could not return to Narnia…it was as if we had lost purpose." _

_ Aslan nodded, shaking his golden mane slightly in the process. "Susan, when I sent you both back, I was not wrong in saying that you had learned all you could from Narnia. But I realized as I watched you in your world that you were not ready to live there either. You had so much more the both of you wished to accomplish and you could not do that in your world. That is why I sent you to Middle Earth, dear one, to let you and Peter accomplish those goals. I know that it is a tough journey, one that has put both you and your brother into less than desirably positions, but it is what you wanted and, ultimately what you needed." _

_ Susan smiled slightly, knowing the Great Lion was not only speaking of the battles and wars but of the prophecy that told of the fates of her and her brother. "I do understand now, Aslan, thank you." The girl paused, looking still at her siblings. "Will we ever see them again?" _

_ "You shall meet Edmund and Lucy again, I promise you that, Susan. It will be a long absence but your family will be reunited in time." Aslan reassured her. _

_ The girl nodded once more before turning back to the lion and hugging his neck once more. "It is truly good to see you again, Aslan. Thank you for allowing me a glimpse of them." _

_ "Of course, dear one, but now it is time to return to Middle Earth. Much more is to be done before the end and you are needed to accomplish it." He gave her his lion grin. "Just always remember, Susan-thought I believe you have not forgotten-, that you are in control of what happens to you no matter what world you may be in. Your will is strong, and your judgment even stronger, and you have always known what is best for not only you but, most importantly, for those that surround you. Everything turns out as it should be if only you will it do to so." _

_ Susan nodded. "I shall remember, Aslan. I shall remember."_

* * *

The queen's eyes fluttered open, this time revealing a domed stone ceiling above her head instead of the clear blue sky that Narnia was known for. It took Susan a moment to realize where she was, still clinging onto the image of her younger siblings on the ship, until she finally understood that she was back in Middle Earth and, more specifically, in the land of Gondor.

Susan sat up slowly, feeling a slight stinging pain in the back of her head, before looking around the large room she resided in. The girl found that she was in a makeshift infirmary with what looked like hundreds of other wounded soldiers. Some of the men, she noted, were bandaged around their torso, others around their heads or legs, but it was not hard to see the massive amounts of blood coming from each of them: some would not make it and that knowledge sunk Susan's heart.

"Susan? Oh, Susan!" She looked to the foot of her cot to see Peter sitting against a column, his left arm in a sling and the right side of his face bruised and cut. He stood up and came to sit next to her on her bed. "I was so worried, you have no idea how much. When they found you and brought you to me, I thought you were dead."

Susan smiled gently at her older brother. "I am fine, Peter. Really, it is only a bump on the head. But what happened to you? You look as if you have been through hell and back. Oh! And what about Eoywn and Merry? And Pippin! I left him for a moment and when I came back he was gone. Are they all right? And what about Aragorn and Gimli? Legolas and Gandalf? How is-"

"Sue, breathe." Peter said, putting his good arm on her shoulder. "I am fine. It looks a lot worse than it actually is. I dislocated my shoulder and got grazed by a sword but that is the extent of it, I promise. As for everyone else they are fine…except…"

Susan's breath caught in her lungs. "Except?" Who could it possibly be? Gandalf? Aragorn? Legolas?

Peter signed and nodded over Susan's shoulder.

The queen turned around to see Aragorn and Eomer huddled over a small body. It took her a moment, but once Susan saw the head of blonde hair, she instantly knew that it was Eowyn. Susan made to get up and go to her friend but Peter stopped her, saying that she would risk further head injury if she stood too quickly.

"What happened?" She asked instead, not having the energy to fight her brother.

"The Witch King," Peter explained. "You were there when she stabbed him. The force of the blow mixed with the energy-or, I suppose, it is magic-released during his death was enough to bring Eowyn to the brink of death, as well." He paused, looking over at the woman himself. "Aragorn is trying an ancient incantation to revive her."

Susan shook her head, sickened by the news, and started getting up again. Peter tried to stop her, yet again, but she waved him off; Eowyn's safety was more important than a headache.

"Susan-"

"I was responsible for her, Peter. I told you to allow her into battle. This is my fault." Susan explained, cutting him off, and rushing over to the bed.

The queen stood behind Eomer and placed a hand on his shoulder, a gesture that was meant to comfort him when he was almost in tears. Susan smiled down at him sadly before looking to the woman of Rohan and Aragorn, who had her hand in his and muttered something under his breath.

He continued his muttering for a moment more before Eowyn suddenly came to, gasping for breath in the process. The future king of Gondor released her in order for her brother to engulf her in his muscular arms; Eowyn was alive, thank Aslan.

Eowyn hugged her brother, still slightly dazed, as she looked over his shoulder and smiled at Susan who returned the gesture.

"Are you doing all right?" Susan inquired.

Eowyn nodded. "I am, thanks to you. I believe you saved me, my queen."

Susan shook her head. "Though it is very flattering for you to say so, I believe you had things well at hand without me. You are a brave warrior, Eowyn. You do not need any help when on the battle field." Susan smiled and patted the woman's hand that rest on her brother's back. "Try and get some rest, my friend."

With those words, Susan backed away, wanting to give the siblings some time to themselves. Having Peter as a brother, she knew how important it was for Eowyn to reassure Eomer that she was alive and doing well.

"It is good to see you conscious, Susan." Susan turned around to see Aragorn was standing close by with Gimli and Legolas next to him. Susan looked over at Peter-still glued to her side in case her head turned woozy-who smiled at her and walked over to their fellowship members.

"It is good to be conscious, gentlemen." She smiled at each of the men in turn before her eyes stopped on Legolas's which were still full of worry and concern; his eyes were no longer the bright blue she had come to expect when looking at him but a dull gray color. "I assure you that I am feeling much better." Her words were now only addressed to the elf before her though it was Gimli who spoke next.

"Well, Lass, I am glad to see you well…I hate to tell you this but you lost. The elf killed over forty orcs." He informed her, earning a laugh from the queen.

"I shall just have to try harder next time then, will I not, Gimli?" The queen laughed once more before speaking, remembering her dream that she had before waking in Middle Earth. "Would you me excuse us for a moment, please? I would like a word alone with my brother."

"Of course, my lady. Take all the time you need. We shall be just over here." Aragorn said, bowing slightly before turning, taking Gimli with him. Susan could vaguely hear the dwarf muttering to Aragorn that Susan was a much pleasanter person when the threat of battle did not loom over their heads, causing a chuckle to escape the Gentle Queen's lungs. It was then just Legolas that stood before the two Pevensies for a moment longer, studying the queen but not speaking a single word, before he too bowed and retreated as well.

Susan watched him go a second more before turning to her brother, who wore a questioning look on his bruised face. Susan smiled. "I saw them, Peter."

The king's eyes furrowed. "You saw who?"

"Lucy and Edmund. They are all right, Peter. All is well with them." Susan informed, not being able to hide her excitement.

Peter still wore a confused look on his face as he spoke. "But how, Susan? How could you see them? You were just dreaming, nothing more."

Susan shook her head before grabbing her brother's hands and pulling him down to sit on her cot next to her. She looked into Peter's eyes intently, showing him that she was not mistaken. "No, Peter. It was no dream. Right before I lost consciousness, I asked Aslan to let me know if those I loved were all right. Just then, everything went black and I woke to find myself on a beautiful Narnian ship in the middle of the ocean. Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace were there with Caspian and-"

Peter cut her off by raising a hand. "Wait, Eustace? Caspian? Susan, I think this is all just a dream, wishful think-"

"Aslan was there, Peter." The mention of the Great Lion was enough to assure Peter that this was no dream, that she had been transported momentarily to Narnia. "Aslan was there and he explained that Lucy and Edmund were safe in Narnia, learning what they needed to. Do you not understand what this means, Peter? It means we need not worry about them, that they might be in Middle Earth somewhere, any longer."

Peter thought over his sister's words for a moment, wondering if it possibly could be true, before smiling slightly. "That is wonderful news, Susan. It is a relief knowing that Ed and Lucy are well and are at home in Narnia. I just…"

Her brother trailed off and she knew then that something must have been bothering him about her story. "What is it just?" She asked.

Peter gave her a side-glance before looking back at all the wounded soldiers around them, thinking intently. "It is just that…hearing that they are back in Narnia…it still angers me, Sue. I know I said I understood but I really do not. I suppose I am just jealous…and then, thinking of Ed and Lu, I cannot help but think we will never see them again. The whole situation seems very…final."

Susan grabbed her brother's hand as he looked down sadly. "This is not final, Peter; nothing is. Yes, our time in Narnia is over and both of us are saddened by this knowledge because we loved it so much but Aslan told me that we would see Lucy and Edmund again. Through them-the ones who believe so deeply in Narnia still-we will be able to keep some sort of connect to our beloved country." Susan squeezed his hand. "Aslan also told me that our destinies are in our control, not under the jurisdiction of the prophecy. Peter, this means that perhaps the prophecy is false, after all-"

"Susan-" Peter tried to cut her off but Susan kept speaking, thinking now they perhaps they were not as trapped in their futures in Middle Earth as they had previously believe.

"We can create our own destinies in this world, Peter, it is not too late. Perhaps we can even go back to our world with Edmund and Lucy and then, we could all be together as a family again. All that I am saying, Peter, is that there is still time to change this. We are not as trapped as-"

Susan was cut off again, but this time it was by a soldier from Rohan coming up to the two of them and bowing. "My king, the leaders of Gondor wish to speak with you about our next move. They wish to know the status of Rohan's army, as well, my liege."

Peter nodded. "Yes, thank you, Terrin. Please tell them I shall be with them in a moment. My sister and the other members of my company will be joining us, also."

The man nodded and bowed again before turning around and making his way back through the maze of the wounded soldiers. Susan followed the man with her eyes, wondering why he had come to Peter for this instead of Theodin. But then she remembered that the last time she had seen the King of Rohan he had been lying on the ground, wounded badly.

The queen's eyes turned to her brother who already had his gaze placed upon her, waiting. "Theodin?" She asked, earning a sad shake of Peter's head and he smiled slightly.

"He did not live through the battle, Susan." He paused, looking down at his hands that were laced together tightly. "I was coordinated as King of Rohan while you were unconscious…it was not anything extravagant, of course, but it officially made me king…" He looked back up at his sister and patted her on the knee. "I know you thought we could change this, but it does not seem possible any more…it's real, Sue. This is happening."

Susan studying her brother's face as that small smile played across his features; she had seen that smile before and she knew the gesture was only masking what he truly felt inside. The last time she saw that smile was when they were leaving Narnia for the last time and he handed his sword over to Caspian, the time before it was during the Blitz in London. That smile was reserved, she knew, for when Peter did not like a situation-it was even considered to be painful-but he knew he had to be strong and endure it. It was a smile that hide his fears.

"You are scared." Susan stated, not questioned.

The smile quickly fell from his face and he nodded only enough so she could see. "Yes, I am. I know nothing about this country and now I am supposed to rule them? Make decisions on their behalf? I am not ready for this, Susan, I-I thought I would have more time to learn from Theodin but…"

Susan grabbed her brother in a hug just then, because she knew how frightened he was now. All this time in Middle Earth, she had been worried about her fate, without giving much thought to how Peter would react to it. After all, it was Peter, her big brother who could take any environment and thrive in it. He was a natural born leader and she just assumed that he would become king and fall into place just as easily as he had in Narnia. But then she realized that this time it was completely different because he would be by himself, without her or their other two siblings. "It will be all right, Peter. You are a great king and you are more than capable of doing this. I have faith in you." The queen let go and gave him a smile.

Peter nodded, standing up and pulling Susan with him. "I hope so, Sue. I hope that we are all alright." He looked over his shoulder where Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn where waiting for them at the entrance to the infirmary. "I am just happy that you will not be alone when you take this foreign thrown. Aragorn is a good man and will be there for you. You can trust in him."

Susan pursed her lips, not wanting to think about her future at that moment; she just realized how much her head throbbed at the thought of it. "Yes, Aragorn is a good man and a dear friend…but…"

"But you do not love him?" Peter asked, crouching down slightly so he could look into her eyes.

Susan bit on her lower lip and simply shrugged.

Peter sighed. "Oh, I knew it."

"Knew what?" Susan asked, raising one eyebrow at him questioningly.

"That you, my sensible, brilliant sister, would be brought down by love. I knew it would be the one thing that could render you unsure and conflicted."

Susan tilted her head to her brother, now angry. "Peter, I am not conflicted. I will marry Aragorn if need be but if I can find a way that ensures the safety of Gondor without it, then I will gladly use it…" She paused. "Why should we have to marry? Who decided that this is something that is meant to be, have to be, in order to save a country? It makes absolutely no sense, Peter! I will find a way out, not just for my sake, but for Aragorn's, as well. He deserves more than me; he deserves someone who loves him."

Peter pursed his lips and sighed once more. "I understand, Susan, and I believe that-if there actually is a way around this prophecy-then you shall find a way out. There is no doubt in my mind that you shall stop this if it is what you truly want. But, unfortunately, it was not discovered in time to save Theodin. I am king of Rohan, now, and I do not see that changing." He gave her a quick smile. "Come on, now we must meet with the others, but later you will tell me more about your dream of Edmund and Lucy and…Eustace, yes?"

Susan nodded, smiling slightly in return. "Yes, of course. You go on ahead, Peter, I shall join you in a moment."

Peter rubbed her shoulder comfortingly before turning and heading in the direction of the other Fellowship members. Susan stayed as she were for a moment, realizing just how much had changed since she had fallen unconscious: Theodin was dead, Peter was king, Edmund and Lucy were confirmed to be alive and well, along with Eowyn, and Aslan had shown here that there was a way to save Gondor's fate without Aragorn and her having to marry.

Yes, so much had changed but Susan knew that she could handle it, that they all could. But first things first, as Peter had said, this war was not over and much still needed to be done.

Finally, Susan found her way out of her thoughts and focused her glance back at the entrance doors. To her surprise, Legolas was still standing there, looking back at her with the same wounded eyes that he had worn earlier.

The queen nodded to him and began walking his way, stopping when she was right in front of the elf. "What are you still doing here? I thought you would have been off with the others."

"I told them that I would wait for you, my lady. You do not know the way." Legolas's tone was formal, meaning that the two of them had again retreated back from being friends to acquaintances. Susan knew that she had been cruel to him when they went on their mission to the mountains and she felt awful about it, perhaps this is why he was treating her so coolly?

"That was very kind of you, Legolas, thank you."

The two fell into step next to each other as they walked down corridor, both silent for several moments. As the quiet engulfed them, Susan felt more and more guilty for her behavior, until she finally felt that she must say something. "Legolas, I am sorry for the way I treated you in the mountains. I was taking all of my frustrations out on you and it was not fair. You were only doing what you believed best."

He looked over at her and a ghost of a smile appeared on his fair face. "I forgive you, my lady." He looked forward again, falling silent. They walked on for a while more, turning down several corridors until they emerged into a courtyard. Though his words said that all was forgiven, the elf's body language betrayed him. Legolas was ridge next to her with no trace of his usual gracefulness to be seen.

Susan bit her lower lip, knowing that she should not ask but had to, regardless. "If all is forgiven than why do you act as if it is not?"

The elf's steps faltered next to her before he stopped all together. Susan came to a rest, as well, looking up into the still dull blue-gray of his eyes. "My queen, I understand why you acted the way you did in the mountains. You were frightened and worried for your brother's safety as well as the rest of the soldiers out on the battlefield. Nothing that you said was taken to heart by me, Aragorn, or Gimli."

"Then what is wrong?" She asked, confused and thinking hard, causing her head to pound harder than it was previously.

Legolas looked away from her, taking in a deep breath. "Peter did not tell you that I was the one who found you, did he?"

Susan shook her head, indicating that he had not informed her.

Legolas nodded, showing that he knew this was the case before she even answered his question. His eyes were still directed over her head and slightly to the left when he began speaking again. "When I found you, laying facedown in the middle of the battlefield, I could not move, could not speak, could not think…I thought you were dead, Susan. It terrified me because I believed I had lost you." He paused. "Then, when I saw that you were still breathing, I took you straight to your brother who then, of course, insisted on overseeing your healing.

"As I stood outside the infirmary, waiting to hear any news, I knew I had not lost your that day but it was only a matter of time until I would, in fact, lose you forever."

The elf finally looked down at the oldest Pevensie girl and shook his head. "You are to be married to Aragorn, Susan. I do not think we should pretend that it will not happen anymore."

It was Susan's turn to shake her head. "It does not have to be, Legolas. The Great Lion has told me so. We can still change this and be together, there is still hope-"

"Then if we can be together it will only be a matter of time before you are returned to your land."

"No, we do not know that, Legolas. Peter and I, we could be here for the rest of our-"

"Lives?" Legolas spit the word out, looking no longer like an immortal elf but like a wounded man. "Then I shall just outlive you." His eyes softened then, followed by the rest of his features. This was hard for him to admit, Susan could tell. But did he not realize that it was equally as hard for her to know he felt these things? That she had hope but he took it away from her by saying these things? "Susan," He said her name before taking both her hands into his. "If, by some miracle, we could be together, I would outlive you by hundreds of thousands of years. You would grow old and die before I physically age ten year."

He sighed. "We were ignorant to love each other, you always knew that. It merely took me longer to understand." The elf looked back up at her and smiled slightly. "You should marry, Aragorn. Though you do not know it now, you shall be happy with him. The two of you are so similar-just and wise-that you will rule Gondor magnificently together."

Susan removed her hands from his, looking down at them as if he had left a mark there. Her thoughts were paralyzed by the words he had just spoken, by his ability to give in so easily to his doubts. Susan had been rejecting Legolas's love since she realized that it had blossomed between them and now that she had allowed herself hope, it was all torn away from her. Just as it had been with Caspian it was now with Legolas.

Susan the Gentle, the most observant and studious of the Kings and Queens of Old, had let history repeat itself but this time she would not be destroyed by her actions. Peter would not be right; she would not be brought down by love.

Susan cleared her throat, holding back tears that threatened to spill over. Her blue, watery eyes made contact with Legolas's and she pulled her shoulders back, straightening her spine as much as possible, standing as tall as she could. "Yes, well, thank you for that, my lord. I appreciate you making things clear for me."

Legolas just stood there, saying nothing, doing nothing.

Susan cleared her throat again. "Now, if you would not mind giving me directions to the meeting room? As I am sure you are aware, my brother is still overwhelmed by becoming king, and I would very much like to be there for him."

"I shall just take you there myself, my queen, if you shall let me." Legolas said low, in almost a whisper.

Susan shook her head. "No." Her voice creaked but she regained her composure. "Thank you, but no. I would like to finish the walk by myself."

Legolas nodded. "As you wish, my lady. Go straight and continue down the corridor. If you take the first right, the meeting room will be at the end of hall."

Susan nodded also before curtseying to the elf, not being able to make eye contact any longer. "Thank you, my lord. Now, if you shall excuse me."

With those short, formal words, Susan turned and continued on in the direction that Legolas had told her to. She walked so straight that her back began hurting as much as her head did. Pain-she welcomed it. It beat away the numbness that Legolas had instilled into her very being.

She walked quietly, trying not to think, until she made it outside of the meeting room. She stopped with her hand on the door handle, took a deep breath, and walked into the room where she was saw Peter, Gandalf, Gimli, and Aragorn along with other men she did not recognize. They all stared at her, the beautiful warrior queen with slightly puffy eyes and red checks, until she finally cleared her throat a final time and let all thoughts of love and Legolas leave her.

"My apologizes for being late, my lords, I had some business to attend to before coming."

"My queen, better late than never." Gandalf spoke up with a slight grandfatherly twinkle gleaming in his eye. "It is just good to see you up and about."

"Here, here!" Several of the soldiers from Rohan-who she had fought two previous battles with-cheered.

Susan smiled graciously before moving over to stand in between her brother and Aragorn. A man from Gondor-Susan noted that he had red hair and a familiar face-began talking once she was settled. The queen paid attention to his plan as he spoke of taking their attack to Mordor's doorstep, only ten miles away at most away from the White City. He continued to explain how they would do this when the door opened once more and Legolas walked into the room. He apologized, much the same way Susan had, before taking his place next to Gimli.

It was strange.

Every other time Susan had seen Legolas she had felt something: a spark, a skipped heartbeat, shortness of breath. But, this time, when she looked at him, she felt nothing. Not hate, not regret, not love, not sorrow.

Susan had cut herself lose from all the emotional ties that bound the two of them together in the moment that he had said he had given up, not willing to fight for what they shared; it was the only logical thing for her to do at that point.

_ Logical…_

Always logical Susan who was not smart enough to know better than to pursue an impossible love finally realized that it was better to except your fate instead of fight against it.

Susan realized her destiny now and accepted it.

She was not turning back from it now.

After all, there was nothing worth turning back for anymore.

**I hope you liked it and please tell me what you think if you feel inspired to! I'm kind of dying to know what you guys think of it. Thank you so much for reading! **


	28. At The Bottom Of Everything

**Hey guys! So here's the new chapter. It's a little shorter than most but I couldn't get into the whole final battle scene and quit halfway through it. I hope you like it nonetheless! **

**Here we go!**

* * *

Still in the meeting, Susan listened as the men discussed the status of their armies. As it turned out, Rohan's armies faced the least amount of fatalities and Gondor suffered the most, losing almost six hundred men. Susan assumed it was this way because Rohan's troops arrived at least twelve hours prior to when the actual fighting began in a city bordering the White City; the men of Gondor tried to defend it but in the city there were too many orcs and not enough soldiers to defend it.

The man Susan had noticed earlier-his name, she found out, was Faramir-had taken over the role of spokesperson for Gondor since his father, the Steward, had died during the battle. He was explaining to the Fellowship and the rest of the lords of Rohan what they had encountered before their soldiers had arrived. Supposedly, the attack on Osgiliath was brutal and swift; he even told them of dragons that were flying down and sweeping soldiers into the air with their talons before dropping them to their deaths.

"It was strange," Faramir said, "That this small Halfling did not seem effected by them…He even walked up to the beast, almost suicidal, really."

Susan's eyes flashed up to look at the man as he spoke those words, shock and surprise registering in her mind. The queen looked then to Peter before she turned to Aragorn for reassurance that he had indeed mentioned the hobbit.

"Halfling, you say? A hobbit?" Peter asked, stepping forward now.

Faramir nodded, causing Susan to grab her brother's arm to steady herself. They had been without news of Frodo for over six months and now this man brings him up as if he was just a story for amusement. But there was the chance that it was not even their lost friends…perhaps it were another hobbit who had wandered to Gondor. But Susan doubted that idea.

"There were two hobbits, my lord. One by the name of Frodo and the other, Sam." Susan explained. "Did you see both of them? Were they well?"

The woman needed answers. After going so long with no news, any news seemed like a weight would lift off of her chest. The Ring Bearer had to be well, if he was not then that would mean they had failed and the lives that were lost would have been in vain; if Sauron had the ring of power then the world as they knew it would cease to exist, falling into fire and water.

Faramir looked from one royal to the other, a questioning look passing over his face. He took a step forward and tilted his head to them. The man's eyes landed on Peter. "I beg your pardon, my lord, but I am not quite sure I know who you are. I realize that you were a friend of my brother's-staying here with him when he had found you ill on the river's edge- and also Theodin's choice to rule Rohan but I have never heard your name spoken before your arrival our city. For, as I recall, you did not have any recollection of who you were before your accident."

It was Peter's turn then to tilt his head in confusion. "You do not know? No one has told you?" He questioned, thinking that it was obvious who he and his sister were. Though he had only met Faramir several times during his stay in Minas Tirith, he thought the man surly would have figured out who he was when he was informed about the prophecy.

The king's eyes turned back to Aragorn to silently ask him what he should do. Never had they encountered this problem in Middle Earth before. Was he supposed to tell him? Or were they keeping it a secret from some?

Aragorn stepped forward, standing next to the Pevensies. "This is High King Peter of Narnia-now also reigning king of Rohan-and his sister, Queen Susan. They are the ones an ancient prophecy spoke of, a prophecy that I am sure that was never even dared to be whispered within the limits of Gondor."

Susan and Peter exchanged a glance, wondering why they would not want to know about the prophecy in Gondor. Susan supposed that it had something to do with the fact that she was to be queen of these lands. As Theodin was angered by the thought of Peter running his country, was that how the lords of Gondor felt? That they did not want a foreign queen sitting on the throne?

Faramir stared at Aragorn a moment before looking back at the Pevensies. "You are the Great Defenders, then? I apologize for my ignorance. I remember now my brother writing me a letter over a year ago about this prophecy and the king and queen who were sent to our world to see it fulfilled…I beg your pardon but I simply assumed you would be…older."

Susan chuckled slightly. "It is quite alright, my lord. We hear that statement all the time." She paused then, wondering about this brother who wrote him about them. "You said your brother wrote you about us?"

The man nodded sadly. "Yes, my brother was Boromir."

Susan's heart sank. Now she could see the family resemblance. The same eyes and bone structure, of course Boromir and Faramir were brothers; it was so plain to see now. It had been a long while since her thoughts had landed on the man of Gondor and it brought her back to that fateful day when he had first lost himself and then redeemed himself by giving his life to save the hobbits. "I am sorry for your loss, my lord. Your brother was a good, brave man."

He nodded. "I thank you. But as we were discussing, yes, I saw these two hobbits. They seemed exhausted but well enough. They were not alone though. A small creature traveled with them."

Susan looked over at Gandalf now, trying to decide if the wizard knew anything about this creature. It seemed strange to the queen that the two would trust the sensitive nature of their mission with someone outside of the Fellowship. The graying man did not look to her thought, he eyes, instead went to Aragorn. "He has caught up with them, then."

"He? He who?" Peter asked.

"Gollum." Aragorn answered. "It was Gollum, the beast that had been following us since we left Moria."

"What kind of creature is he? Is he a threat to them?" Susan asked, feeling concern fill her even more.

"Gollum used to be human." Gandalf answered with a sigh. "That is, until the Ring of Power came to him and consumed his humanity…nothing else matters to Gollum except the Ring." He paused, looking at the three before him. "He shall do whatever it takes to get the ring back in his possession."

Susan shook his head. "Then we should go after them, stop the creature before he tries to attack."

"Oh, there is no doubt in my mind that he has already tried to take the Ring from them, my queen." Gandalf answered. "I am sure he is now bidding his time until he can strike again."

"Then why would Frodo and Sam still keep him in their company? They are not dense, they know who they can and cannot trust." Peter questioned, feeling fury that the Ring Bearer had been so foolish to trust just anyone they meet on their journey. It reminded him of something Lucy would do.

"They were using him as a guide, my king." Faramir interjected. "They did not know the way and had no choice."

"And by what road was he taking them?" Aragorn asked.

It was then that Faramir's face fell. "My guess would be through Minas Morgul."

"But that's suicide." Gimli explained.

"I would believe this is Gollum's point." Susan said, shaking her head.

This situation with Frodo could not get any worse in Susan's eyes. He was on his was to Mordor, walking straight into the waiting arms of the enemy, with a treacherous creature that wanted nothing more than kill them and steal the ring. He and Sam were on dangerous ground with a dangerous guide and she could not see the bright side of this situation, if there was one.

"So what are we to do?" Legolas spoke for the first time since entering the meeting room.

The entire room fell silent, thinking about what they were capable of doing to help Frodo reach Mount Doom and finish this once and for all. _But how?_ Susan wondered. They could not barge into Mordor looking for Frodo within the walls of the fortress. The enemy would then know that he was there and go in search for him and the ring. They could not go in…but they could bring their enemies out to then.

The queen looked over at Aragorn, meeting his eyes, and she knew that he was thinking of the same plan that had just formed in her head. The man nodded before taking a general look around the room. "We must come at them head on, draw Sauron's forces out of Mordor in hopes that Frodo will be able to move undetected."

"Draw the forces of Mordor out?" One of the advisors of Gondor asked. "That will be suicide. After this battle we are not ready to fight again, many of our men are wounded."

"If we stay here and do nothing then there is a very good chance that the ring will fall back into the hands of Sauron. Then we shall all surely be dead." Peter explained. "I agree with Aragorn, this is the wisest of our choices."

"I agree, as well." Susan spoke up. "Everything we have done thus far will be for nothing if Frodo and Sam fail now. We must give them a chance a destroy the ring."

The man from Gondor thought for a moment, looking around at his fellow advisors for their opinions, before turning back to the Fellowship. "What does Rohan say?" He asked.

Peter hesitated a moment, forgetting that he was now in charge of Rohan and everything that being king entails. "Rohan shall go to Mordor and draw it's forces out."

The man nodded slowly before turning his eyes to Aragorn. "And Gondor's future king agrees?"

Susan looked over to Aragorn to see that he nodded, as well. "Ready the troops. We shall be leaving in three days time."

* * *

Later that day, Susan found herself wandering the uppermost level of Minas Tirith; it was the place reserved for the highest ranking citizens of Gondor. All around her, the queen was surrounded by what could only be described as clear scenery. The white marble buildings on her left shone and glistened in the late afternoon sun as if they were made of diamonds. On her right, she could see the landscape mix in with the stunning blue sky that was now beginning to turn orange and pink.

This place was calming for Susan, something that she had not felt since they began this journey all those months ago. She felt no fear, no pain, no worry, no heartache, nothing but tranquility. Despite the fact that almost certain death laid before her and the others she still felt safe within the walls of this city. She had not found a place that had such an effect on her since Cair Paravel. _Though the White City will never be Narnia, it could still be home_, she thought. She could still be comfortable here.

"Enjoying the view, my lady?"

Susan turned around, unsurprised to see Aragorn standing there with his hands behind his back and his head tilted to the side as he studied her.

"Quite, thank you. It is beautiful here, Aragorn. Truly, I have not never seen its equal." Susan complimented.

Aragorn nodded as he came to stand next to her, watching as the sun dipped down a little lower every minute. The two were silent for a while but that was, of course, to be expected; neither of the royals enjoyed small talk, only when the occasion called for it did they actually make it.

It was then, as they stood there saying and doing nothing, that Legolas's words sunk into her mind. He had told her that she and Aragorn were similar but she could not understand what he had meant by it until that moment. Both were quiet, thoughtful, pensive, wise beyond their years, and just and kind rulers.

Yes, they were similar.

Yes, they were a good match.

Yes, they were both willing to marry to save an entire country.

Yes, she had accepted her future with nothing standing in her way anymore to stop her.

But still, it was not only about her or Aragorn. Maybe Legolas was no longer a part of this situation but Arwen still was.

"Have you heard any news of the elves?" The queen finally asked.

From next to her, she could hear Aragorn sigh. "I suppose you mean Arwen?"

Susan nodded but Aragorn did not answer right away. She wondered if perhaps he did not want to discuss such a matter with her but he finally spoke, leaving her stunned by the words that burst from his lips.

"She is still in Rivendell, dying."

Susan turned away from the sunset then to stand facing him. "What? Aragorn, why? What has happened?"

"She is too connected with the humans in this world. It is making her sick." He explained.

"I am so sorry, Aragorn. Truly, I am." Susan sympathized, shaking her head. "Is there anything we can do?"

He shook his head sadly. "The best we can do is make sure that the ring is destroyed. Her fate is directly tied to it now."

Susan nodded but did not know what else to say. There was never anything helpful to say when someone was going through a difficult time; illness and death was painful no matter how many people sympathized. But still, she felt so bad for Arwen and Aragorn both.

Without thinking, Susan reached over and gave the man a gentle hug, patting him on the back all the while. "I have faith that we will be successful and that she shall be alright."

"Indeed, Susan. Indeed." He said, pulling back and smiling slightly. Susan knew he was still worried but would not admit it to her; it was not in his nature to appear worried or frazzled. "Shall we take a look at the city?" Aragorn asked, changing the subject. "We could see more than just the view and get to know the area better."

Susan smiled and nodded politely as she dropped the subject of Arwen as she knew Aragorn wanted. He could not think on that situation now and she understood that. "I would like that very much, thank you."

"Follow me, then." Aragorn said as he started walking.

Susan fell into step next to him as they started down the twisting and turning streets that lowered them into the main part of the city. As they walked, the queen noted the different areas of the city. The higher sections were reserved for housing, mostly for the richer class, and as they moved down it became a mix of housing, shops, and market areas. All those who were in the streets stopped them, wanting to speak only a few words to those who were to be their new King and Queen. _Well, if we survive this war we shall be the king and queen_, Susan thought.

It took them nearly two hours to make their way to the bottom level of the city where the poorest of Minas Tirith's residents lived. Susan saw them, dirty and thin, and wondered what was to be done to help them by their superiors in the city. She turned to Aragorn and asked the question that was on her mind.

"I am not sure, my lady. If I had to say, my answer would be that they do little to nothing to help them. Most of the people are thieves and outcasts, Gondor has never looked upon either highly." Aragorn explained.

"Well, that does not seem right. These people seem to be thieves because they have no other choice than to be so if they want to feed their families. What if the government were to give them an offer of labor for food? Then perhaps they would choice to be a respectable member of society and have a feeling of self worth." The wheels in Susan's head began turning then as she thought of all the different ways the poor and lowly could be helped. They did not have to live this way; it could most definitely be an avoided situation.

"That is an excellent idea, my lady. Perhaps you could be the one to over see this outreach program that you speak of. I think the people would be very grateful if their queen did this for them." Aragorn suggested.

Susan smiled at his words. "I would love to. It would allow me time to get to know them and for them to get to know me, as well."

Aragorn nodded, agreeing. "They shall adore you, Susan, I know they will."

"Well, I do not know about adoration but I do hope they shall accept me." Susan confessed.

The two started back up the hill now; it was already after dark and most of the residents had retired to their own homes. All the two royals could see were the rays of light that peeked through the cracks in the windows and under doors that formed because of the fires. Minas Tirith was beginning to rest and all was quiet.

Aragorn and Susan were silent, as well, until they made it back up to the upper most level of the city where both of their rooms resided. They stopped in the courtyard where the white tree of Gondor resided; it was the one that Pippin saw when he touched the orb back in Rohan. The two stood, staring at the tree for a moment, until Aragorn spoke again.

"Do you think you shall be happy here?" He asked, not being able to turn to the woman whom he was supposed to marry. Aragorn did not know if he could bare hearing that she would not be pleased. He would not make her go through with it if that was the case; though it was not an ideal life for either of them, he could not make her miserable for the rest of he life. It would be too much for both of them to bear.

Susan smiled and nodded slightly. "Yes, I believe I could be."

Aragorn nodded, feeling a slight weight lift from his chest. "I must say that it is a relief to hear you say that, Susan."

The queen nodded politely but did not linger on thoughts of her own happiness for long.

"And what of you?" Susan asked the man next to her. "Do you think you will enjoy ruling of Gondor after living so long in the North?"

It took Aragorn a moment longer to answer than it did Susan for she had always been a royal and he was a mere ranger all his life. Could he settle into his role of being a king easily? Or would it cause him much difficulty? A moment more of thought and he was ready to reply to Susan's question. "With a friend at my side, I think it shall be all right."

Susan nodded again. "Yes, all shall be all right in the end." She paused a moment, looking still at the White Tree. "I think I shall retire. There is much to be done tomorrow. Good night, Aragorn."

The woman curtsied as the man bowed. "Good night, Susan. Sleep well."

With those words the two parted. They were not at odds nor dreading the future nor overjoyed with what cards fate had so carelessly drawn for them. They were simply friends who had found an understanding and, for now, that was enough for both of them.

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**Like I said, short, but I hope you enjoyed it just the same! Please let me know what you think if you feel inspired to! Thanks for reading! **


	29. Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces

**Hey! Here's a new chapter for you guys. We aren't in the battle yet but we will be next one! I hope you enjoy it and thank you for waiting patiently for updates!**

**Here we go…**

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They were leaving for Mordor in the morning, about ready to make their last stand. Susan stood on the balcony of her private chambers, staring up at the star stricken sky that stretched out for eternity above her. The sight, much like the one she had seen with Aragorn a few days earlier, was breathtaking; she realized she could stare at that sky for the rest of her life and be perfectly content.

Content.

That seemed to be the emotion of the moment; not only for her but also for everyone else she surrounded herself with while in Middle Earth. Peter was content with his role as king of Rohan but Susan knew better than to think him happy with the situation. Both of them would prefer to rule Narnia with their younger siblings; but that was not to be so they must fulfill the duties required of them in this world. Aragorn was also content. He and Susan were not in love but they were friends and would make an exceptional king and queen of Gondor. Gimili, Susan knew, was always content with the prospects of a fight and tomorrow that is what he would receive. As for the armies, well, they were content with the knowledge that this war would end soon, one way or the other.

Yes, everyone seemed content but not happy. It was almost to central an emotion for Susan to handle. Her entire life was composed of being, well composed. Showing no outbursts of happiness or sadness was all she had ever known and now it seemed as if that was all she would ever know in her life.

For once Susan wanted to feel an entire emotion and all it had to offer. Whether that emotion was anger, sorrow, delight, or love she did not care. The queen just needed to feel something, anything entirely!

Susan took a deep breath and pried her eyes away from the sky to look down at the immaculate white marble courtyard before her quarters. Below her, the queen saw a man and woman strolling, hand in hand, around the lovely fountain at the center of the square. At first she did not think much of the couple but then she caught sight of the back of the man's head and couldn't help but think she was seeing ghosts. To Susan's eyes she was see Boromir: tall, muscular build, and dark hair. But then the man turned and she realized that it was not Boromir but his younger brother, Faramir, who she had met at the meeting earlier in the week. Then her eyes turned to the woman and she noticed that it was Eoywn.

A small smile spread across her face as she realized the romantic feelings that had developed between the pair. Love had managed to blossom even in the darkest of times, giving her hope that not all was lost. Good things could still happen in the face of sorrow.

Her eyes drifted away from the couple, catching sight of two men standing in the garden that was only several hundred feet away from the courtyard below her. In the dark night, lit only by the bright moon above her, Susan squinted to see if she could make out the faces of the men; she did not have to work too hard to see the long blonde hair on the tall, fair figure that was Legolas. He stood in the midst of a deep conversation with…was it Aragorn? Yes, Susan received a better look of him and noted the features did belong to her betrothed.

The queen could not help but wonder what it was that they were talking about and at this late hour. It could be a myriad of things, of course, including the upcoming battle and the state of affairs of Gondor and Rohan. But Susan doubted it. A slight pounding in her chest made her realize that she believed them to be talking of her; it was the strangest of things, to be sure someone was speaking of you but not know what was being said.

The two continued in conversation for a moment more before Susan's eyes were captured by Legolas's. The two men instantly stopped talking and looked up at the queen on the balcony, giving her looks that she could not quite decipher. It would only have been natural of the queen to look away at that moment but she couldn't because of the irony of it all. There they were-her past and her future- standing side-by-side, staring at her. It was all too novel in both senses.

"Susan? What are you looking at? Or is it spying that you are doing?"

Susan spun to see her brother standing in the doorway between her rooms and the balcony. "Oh, Peter. You startled me." She said, putting her hand on her speeding heart as if to steady it's pace.

"Sorry. What are you doing out here?" He asked, taking a step closer to her.

"Oh, um, I was just-" Susan turned around in the direction of the men to see that they were back in deep discussion then. "I was just taking in the general splendor."

Peter nodded, taking her words as the truth for the moment. "Gandalf wants to speak to us. I think it's about the prophecy."

Susan tilted her head. "That is odd. What else could there be to explain?"

Peter shrugged his shoulders, not really sure what their small meeting was about, and came over to his sister and held out his arm for her to take. "Shall we go find out?"

"We shall." Susan responded with a small smile playing across her lips. The queen took her brother's arm and they walked out of her quarters. They were quiet for a moment as Peter led her through the twists and turns of the castle up on the hill. Finally, Susan could stand the silence no longer. "How are you fairing, Peter? Is your new role becoming of you?"

Peter laughed slightly, nervously from what Susan could tell. "It is slowly sinking in that I am in charge of this new country but it is still so overwhelming." He paused. "They are good men, the ones in my ranks, and I feel very honored to be leading them."

"That is something positive." Susan said, giving me another small smile. "It shall all be alright in the end. We will be where we are supposed to, doing what we should."

"So, your plan to change the prophecy is set in motion then, is it?" Peter questioned his younger sister, a slight teasing tone on his voice.

Susan looked down at her feet and cleared her throat as she began to think over what to tell her brother and what she would rather keep to herself. "No, there is no plan, Peter. Our situation-mine, yours, Aragorn's-is what it is. There is no need to use valuable energy on something so foolish."

Peter tilted his head, giving his sister a curious glance. The words she spoke did not seem like her. "Susan, what has happened?"

"I do not wish to talk about it, Peter." The queen explained, walking a little faster and standing a little straighter, instantly tipping her brother off that something most definitely happened.

"But Susan-"

"Oh, look. We have arrived. Shall we go in?" Susan said, half running to the door that stood several feet in front of the pair of them.

Peter sighed and moved to place his hand on the door handle. "Alright, as long as you are aware that we will talk later, Susan."

The Gentle Queen pursed her lips. "Yes, we shall talk later…On other subjects, of course." The girl set her older brother with a narrow eyed stare that said they would not discuss the matter further and Peter almost complied…almost.

"Yes, of course. We shall talk of other subjects…after we discuss this one." The boy smiled and opened the door for his younger sister. "After you."

Susan's glare narrowed even more as she entered the small chamber and looked around for the elderly man. The room was quaint, filled with books and comfortable enough seating. It looked to be a private library to Susan's eyes. At one shelf, Susan noted Gandalf standing there, pouring through the pages of some old parchments with haste.

"Gandalf?" Susan prompted, causing the wizard to turn in her direction. "I hope we have not come at a bad time. We were informed that you wished to speak with us."

"Ahh, yes, my queen. Please, come in." He said, directing her to take a seat at the reading table at the center of the room.

Susan did as in structured while Peter decided to stand behind his sister's seat. "So, what is the matter, Gandalf?" The king asked.

The wizard sighed as he took a seat at the table across from Susan. "It is this matter of riding into Mordor, finishing the battle at their front gates in hopes of giving Frodo the chance to destroy the Ring…"

"You doubt that he will be able to make it to Mount Doom despite our efforts?" Susan prompted, earning a quick shake of the head from Gandalf.

"Oh no, I believe we will most definitely give him an excellent advantage on his journey."

"But?" Peter asked, knowing there had to more to the old man's words than he had let on.

"But, I am afraid that Frodo will not have the will to destroy the Ring when the time comes." The wizard let the words slip out quietly, like he believed his doubts would somehow be heard by the hobbit from miles away.

"Gandalf, Frodo seemed fine with the Ring the last time we saw him. He was not falling under its spell." Peter protested, earning a shake of the head from his sister.

"That is not true, Peter. He felt threatened by the power of the Ring. He used it against Boromir and he offered it to me before the orcs came…he was terrified of what the ring was capable of." The queen's eyes went to the wizard across from her. "And that was almost a year ago. Who knows what the ring has done to Frodo's mind in that time."

Susan thought of the poor hobbit, frightened and succumbing to the power he did not fully understand. He had lived with that burden for such a long time now, and he might have even been driven mad by it. Though she hated to say it, she had a feeling that the venom the Ring produces had probably seeped deep into Frodo and poisoned him, mind and body.

"So, what is it that you are suggesting?" Peter asked.

Gandalf rested his arms on those of the chair and folded his hands together in front of his face. His eyes darted around the room for a moment as he thought, before looking back at the queen. "At one point or another during our journey, each and everyone of us felt the powerful pull of the ring as it tried to seduce us…that is, all of us, except you."

Susan felt confused for a moment, trying to deduce what he was trying to say. Did he want her to destroy the Ring? That was completely impossible. Not only was the Ring out of her hands but there was no way she would be able to fight a battle and be able to get inside the walls of Mordor and to Mount Doom.

"I'm curious to know what it is that you are suggesting, Gandalf." Susan explained, tilting her and raising an eyebrow.

"Power does not tempt you, Susan. You have no want of more power because you do not need it to make an impact…I have heard from Lady Galadriel, just before she left for the Undying Lands, and she informed me that it would be in our best interest to send you into Mordor to find Frodo and ensure the destruction of the Ring." He said in as confidant a voice he could.

Susan had the slightest feeling that he was not sold of the idea but he was following the orders of the powerful elf, the one who, in fact, prophesied Peter and Susan's coming to Middle Earth.

"And I suppose he wants you to take on Sauron singlehandedly while you are at it." Peter mumbled under his breath. Susan turned back for a second, glaring at her brother, before returning her gaze to the wizard.

"What about the battle? I cannot simple abandon the men." Susan said.

"They will fair just well without you, my queen. Aragorn and I have already discussed the matter and he believes that this is the path you must take. He will be able to lead the troops of Gondor and Peter, those of his own country. Legolas, Gimli, and myself along with the other generals will be more than capable of aiding them in whatever direction needs to be given to the soldiers." Gandalf paused. "This is your destiny, Susan. You are to ensure the safety of an entire world."

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Peter lashed out, causing his sister to stand and come to rest next to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder to remind him to keep his anger in check. "You are going to send a girl into Mordor, alone, without any protection? You believe that she will be able to make it through the gates in the middle of a battle? It is absolute suicide."

"Peter, it is all right. I can do this. I am meant to do this." Susan tried to sooth but he was not listening to her.

"My king, either way our chances of dying, being completely wiped out, are very great during this battle. If anything, Queen Susan will be more out of harm's way than in it. Her main concern will be to find the hobbits and the ring, not battle our enemies head on."

"Peter, I shall be fine. I will do this." Susan said sternly, knowing that this task Gandalf was setting her with was what she was meant to do all along. That day when Frodo left the Fellowship behind him, Susan felt complete and utter regret for not going with him, for not being able to protect him properly in the way that he needed. She knew she could have taken the Ring from him, made sure that Frodo did not have to carry the burden, but she did not.

But now it was time for her to help carry some of the burden for him, help him destroy something that had poisoned him into believing he loved so much. Yes, this mission was dangerous for she would be alone in the vast lands that Boromir had deemed foolish for anyone to enter. Yes, it would be very dangerous. And yes, she would likely die on her way to meet Frodo if not after then.

But she had to try.

She just had to.

Not for herself, for her own guilt, but for Frodo who had dealt with more than she could possibly image on his journey to destroy the Ring.

"But, Susan, you shall be completely alone. I will not be there to watch out for you, neither will Legolas or Aragorn."

Susan narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at her brother's words. "Peter Pevensie, are you suggesting I cannot do this without the help of a _man_?"

Peter's eyes widened slightly and he shook his head quickly. When Susan got that look on her face, the one his mother made when he had cursed or when she had caught him in a lie, he knew it was better to just admit that he was wrong instead of make a fuss.

"Susan, that is not what I am saying. I am just saying that-that I am worried about you."

"And you do not think that I will be worried about you, Peter?" She paused. "You are my brother and I love you. Of course, I do not want anything to happen to you but we must do what we must do. That is how it has always been. In Narnia, you fought against the White Witch while Lucy and I went to free those frozen by her spells. Again, I went off with Lucy in search of Aslan during our second visit to Narnia without you to look after us." Susan paused and gave her brother's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "We have always look out for each other when we could, Peter, but then there have been times when we could not and we have excepted that. This is one of these times."

The girl looked away from her brother and towards the wizard, smiling slightly at him and nodding. "I accept the mission wholeheartedly, Gandalf. I shall try my best not to let everyone down."

Gandalf smiled slightly to her in return. "Spoken like a true warrior queen."

Susan chuckled slightly before removing her fingers from her brother's arm and looking down at her hands.

"So, what is your great plan for getting her into Mordor?" Peter asked, still not as convinced about this as his sister was. "Shall she simply walk in, shaking hands with the orcs as she goes, or shall she be shot from a catapult and hopefully land safely right at the base of Mount Doom?"

Susan rolled her eyes but did little else for she too was curious about what Gandalf had planned for her entrance into the enemy's country. Would she try to slip past them during the fight? Would she take a different, more sinister route like Sam and Frodo did?

At Peter's question, Gandalf smiled widely. "Well, that has been decided for her…by the Great Lion."

The mention of Aslan caused Susan's mouth to drop. Aslan? Helping her and her brother here? She did not think his power could reach over worlds in this way but she was incredibly happy to hear that it, in fact, could. "Aslan? How has he decided this?"

"He sent you a present." Gandalf answered vaguely before standing up and walking over to the doors. "Follow me, if you please, my queen. I have something I would very much like to show you."

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Gandalf led the royals outside to a courtyard that looked very similar to the one that resided right outside of Susan's window; they were all alike but still breathtakingly beautiful every time you saw them with their fountains and garden flowers.

Gandalf led the two around the courtyard towards a small shed like structure that resided in the corner of the square, farthest from the main building. He went up to the door and knocked lightly.

"Come in." A strong, masculine voice answered from within.

The wizard pushes open the wood of the door to show the king and queen what exactly it was that Aslan had given to aid them. But, upon peering into the small but well lit and clean room, Susan noted that it was now a 'what' that Aslan had given them but a 'whom'. Before the queen sat a griffin. But Middle Earth did not have any such magical creatures. Oh no, this Griffin was sent from Narnia, meaning he was a small piece of their beautiful home.

Susan and Peter stepped into the room, bowing and curtsying once they were inside. The griffin stood quickly once he realized that he was in the presence of two of the Kings and Queens of Old.

"Your Majesties, I cannot tell you what an honor it is to meet you and be here to assist you on your mission." The griffin bowed. "My name is Borin and I am in your Majesties service for whatever it is you need."

Susan smiled over at the creature and nodded. "It is lovely to meet you, Borin. I am pleased to know it is you, a most noble creature of Narnia, that will be with me on my journey. I think we will work very well together."

Borin smiled, if that were possible for a griffin, and bowed his head and wings again. "Oh, thank you, my queen. You pay me a great compliment that I have not earned."

"I am sure it is true all the same, my friend." Peter added, smiling as well. "If I trust anyone with my sister it is a griffin and I am glad, as well, to see you here." The king paused as the griffin bowed again. "What is the time from whence you came, Borin? Is King Caspian the Tenth alive? Or has his time passed as well?"

"Why, I actually was sent here from the mission aboard King Caspian's ship, my king." He paused to look at both of the siblings in turn. "We were actually aboard the Dawn Treader with your younger siblings, King Edmund and Queen Lucy."

"You saw them?" The words tripped over Susan's tongue clumsily as she realized what he was saying. He had been with her brother and sister all the while since they had been in Narnia. He had information he could give them about Lucy and Edmund's health and also of their progress on their journey. "Are they well? Are they safe? Are they still in Narnia?"

The griffin nodded. "Yes, my queen, they are all well. Including that cousin of yours that insists on complaining every moment of everyday…when I left he was turned in to a dragon but he seemed well enough, Majesty."

Susan's eyes went to Peter, both giving him an 'I-told-you-so' look about Eustace being in Narnia and a look of horror that their young cousin was a dragon. How did he become that way? Susan voiced her curiosity.

"He tampered with a dragon's treasure, your majesty, but I do not know anything else, I am afraid."

"Do they know you left to come meet us? My brother and sister?" Peter asked, earning another nod from Borin.

"Aslan came to me in a dream to tell me that I was to be sent to the two of you and instructed that I tell King Edmund and Queen Lucy so they knew your whereabouts. They both wish you well. So does King Caspian."

Peter and Susan nodded, feeling glad that all four of the Pevensies knew of each other's location and knew everyone was safe. It was a great relief to be sure.

"So, my queen," Gandalf cut in for the first time since they met their new friend from their homeland. "Do you think Borin will be able to getting your further into Mordor than a catapult?"

Susan chuckled at the wizard's mocking of her brother before nodding confidently. "Yes, my lord, I think he will be able to me quite close to Mount Doom. That is, if you are up for the challenge?"

The griffin's face hardened and he became ridged like a soldier waiting for orders. "Yes, my queen. I shall take you to the ends of the earth if necessary."

"That will not be necessary, Borin." Gandalf said as he walked a little closer to the griffin. "But, I wonder, how well are you at dodging spot lights?"

"I can manage that quite well, my lord." Borin answered, earning a nod from the wizard.

"And how about ever seeing eyes? Can you dodge those as easily?"

Borin's eyes went from the wizard to the royals and then back again, trying to decide what they meant by this. After a few seconds, the griffin nodded. "Aye, I believe I could try my best too."

It was settled then without further discussion.

Peter had his orders, as did Susan, and the fight for Middle Earth was ending one way or another when morning light came.

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**I hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think and thank you for reading!**


	30. WhoWill Survive and What is Left of Them

**Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait but I am a busy, buys girl! Lol Any way this is the second to last chapter (maybe, probably) and I hope you enjoy it! It doesn't end like I expected and I'm kind of nervous to see what you guys think. You are the BEST readers, after all, and love your input. **

**Okay, here we go!**

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Susan stood next to Borin, patting the creature's feathered neck as they watched the men prepare their horses and weapons for the battle that would determine the future of Middle Earth, the battle that would determine their future.

"Are you afraid, my lady?" The griffin asked.

The queen looked over at him, smiled slightly, and shook her head. "Not for myself, no. I am afraid for them, for those who must face the armies of Mordor on the battlefield."

"Do they need you to fear for them? Will this battle be as deadly as the one you and your siblings faced with the White Witch?" Borin questioned her again.

"I cannot answer that. I can hope, though, that it will not be." Susan explained.

Two men passed by the pair where they stood on the outskirts of the action, bowing as they came to stand in front of her. "My queen, I cannot tell you what an honor it is to be fighting for you on this day. Our allegiances lie with you and the King," One of the men told her. Susan smiled at them and told the men to please rise.

"My brave lords, I am touched by your kind words but ask that you do not fight for me. Instead fight for you families, your friends, and your lands along with those who cannot defend themselves." The men smiled and nodded and Susan did the same. "May the gods of your world watch over you as well as the Great Lion of mine."

"Thank you, my queen." The other man spoke before they both bowed again and took off into the mass of men making last minute adjustments before riding off.

"Not even crowned, or married for that matter, and already the people of Gondor fall at your feet." Susan spun to see Legolas standing behind her, his arms laced behind his back and his battle clothing on. "If it is not too bold to say, I find it very fascinating, Susan, the love you can command with only your presence. For some rulers it is not so easy."

The elf's words were genuine and Susan nodded slowly to thank him. He walked over to the queen and griffin and smiled down at them in a friendly manner.

"I beg your pardon, young man, but you are speaking to a Queen of Narnia and you should address her as such." Borin spoke next, coming to no longer stand behind Susan but next to her.

"Oh, Borin, he need not do that-"

Susan was cut off by Legolas raising his hand. "No, my queen, the noble creature is right. I have forgotten my manners. Forgive me." He paused. "I just came to wish you luck on your venture and success with finding and aiding Frodo."

Susan nodded, "Thank you, Legolas. I wish you well, also. May your aim be true as it always is."

Legolas nodded, saying that his gift had served him well thus far and he hoped that it would continue to do so. Susan felt that their interaction was too formal, too abnormal for the two of them. Yes, she was upset with him. Yes, they were comrades in the Fellowship and nothing more.

But they still knew each other. They still loved each other.

Surely Legolas could not forget those feelings so quickly? Seeing him like this only reminded her of the conversation she saw him having with Aragorn the night before. What were they talking about? What matters were so covert that they must be discussed in whispers late into the night in a remote garden?

Question- they always surrounded the elf before her and she was through with them.

These uncertainties that had haunted her with Caspian threated to haunt her here in Middle Earth and Susan would not allow it to happen. Unlike the two men of her past, Susan knew exactly where she stood with the man of her future. They were a team, Aragorn and Susan, and they were honest with each other always. No muss, no fuss, no drama and that is how she liked it. That was what she was comfortable with.

So, as far as she was concerned the man in front of her was a friend, a brother in arms, and nothing more, and that was alright.

"Well, I shall see you after the battle then, my queen." Legolas told her before bowing to Susan and then nodding in Borin's direction.

"Legolas!" Susan called after him, forcing the elf to pause midstep.

The queen ran over to him and looked into his blue eyes. "Last night, in the garden, what were you discussing with Aragorn?"

The elf tilted his head to her, bewildered with her forwardness. He took a deep breath. "We were discussing you." He said simply. "Aragorn was giving us permission to be together if we wished it. He said you deserved a life of love and happiness."

Susan bit down on her lower lip. "And how did you respond?"

Legolas looked down, trying hard to say the words but having trouble getting them out. "I told him that I do not deserve you. That you deserve to have a complete, full life with someone to have children with and to grow old with you…that you deserve so much more than I can give." The elf's eyes flew up. "I told him that no matter how much I loved you I would not be selfish with you." He paused. "We cannot be together, Susan."

The queen nodded slightly. "I know."

Legolas took her hand in his own and brought it up to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss against her knuckles. "I wish you all the luck in the world, Susan."

And then he was gone, just as swiftly as he had come, to meet Gimli at their white horse. The dwarf caught the queen's eye and nodded in her direction, a gesture which she returned as a sign of greeting and good luck.

"This is a magical place, my queen. I find the men to be most virtuous, like Narnians." Borin said as she walked back to him, still slightly stunned, and saw that he was surveying the area closely. "I will not mind serving in their ranks for the rest of my days."

Susan's eyes shot over to look at the griffin with a quizzical look on her face, all thoughts of Legolas repressed for the time being. "You mean you are not returning to Narnia?" The creature looked back at her and shook his head. "Why? Will Aslan be unable to send you back?" The queen asked.

"I volunteered to stay, my queen. I have an ancestor who served with King Peter during the Golden Age when he went to make peace with the giants. My ancestor made a difference and, if it pleases your Majesty, I would like to opportunity to make and keep peace in the new lands of the King and Queen of Old…to make a new Golden Age."

"A new Golden Age? I do like the sound of that, Borin. You are more than welcome to stay in Rohan if my sister will permit me to have you." It was now Peter's voice that came to Susan's ears, followed shortly by the rest of her brother, Aragorn and Gandalf.

"My king," The griffin greeted and bowed.

Peter nodded and smiled to him before turning his attention to his sister. "How are you fairing, Susan? Nervous yet? Let me guess, you are nervous for the men but not for your own safety, correct?"

Susan narrowed her gaze at her brother. "Do not mock me, Peter. Not when we are so close to going into battle."

Peter saw the look on his sister's face, the one that lay beyond the glare that had settled in her eyes. He saw her fears pressed into her pursed lips and clenched in her tight fists. No, this was not a time for mocking. This was a time to prepare and a time to gain motivation. "Sorry, Susan. That was no fair of me to do to you." He smiled down at his little sister one more time before wrapping her in a tight hug; for once it was he who had engulfed his sibling in a bone-crushing hug instead of the other way around. "You shall take care of yourself…promise me?"

"I promise, Peter…and you promise me that you will do your best to stay safe and keep the men safe." Susan clutched onto her brother a little more when she realized that this could very well be the last time she ever saw him. Sure, they had had their close encounters since arriving in Middle Earth but this time it was different.

Everything that happened in this battle would be final. Death would be final. Good or evil would be final. There would be no questioning after today, no uncertainties, no going back.

"I promise, Sue. I promise." The king gave his sister one last squeeze before taking her at arms length and nodding that he was readying now to go face his enemies. Peter looked over his sister's shoulder and smiled at the Griffin. "Good luck, Borin."

The griffin bowed. "Thank you, Majesty."

Peter stepped to the side, allowing Aragorn to come say goodbye. Never before had the Fellowship said such goodbyes to each other, but, as she had thought, everyone knew that there could very well be no coming back from today; you said goodbye while you still could.

"You know what you have to do?" He asked, earning a nod from Susan. "You have your sword and knife? I realize you will not use them but just in case you are taken from your bow?" Susan nodded again which was followed by a nod from Aragorn. "Good. That is good." The man paused. "Watch yourself, Susan. Always be aware of your surroundings."

"I shall, Aragorn. There is no need to worry." Susan smiled up at the man before taking him in her arms for a gentle hug. "I can take care of myself, Aragorn. I will be alright."

"Yes, I daresay you shall be." He responded before letting go and taking a step back. "I will see you after, then."

Susan smiled. "Good luck, my dear friend. I will see you afterwards, hopefully with Frodo and Sam with me."

Aragorn smiled back, saying goodbye and bowing to her.

After he left, only Gandalf stood before her, leaning heavily on his white staff. Susan crossed her arms as she looked up at the elderly man and smirked. "I cannot wait to hear what you have to say, Gandalf. Do you have a new twist to the mission, perhaps? Am I to fly up to Sauron's eye and poke it with an arrow, perhaps?"

Gandalf chuckled and shook his head. "No, my dear girl, unfortunately I am just here to wish you luck like the other men. With your noble companion with you, I have no doubt that you will succeed, Susan."

"I will definitely try my best." Susan said. "I wish you the best as well, Gandalf."

The wizard took the queen's hand in both of his own and smiled at her. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think the Great Defenders would come so far and be so important to Middle Earth. I thank you and your brother for the service you are providing." He squeezed her hand once more, nodded, and left.

Then Susan and Borin were alone again; no one else would be coming to say goodbye and good luck. Susan went back over to her companion and began to stroke his neck again. The men were all but settled and once they rode out Susan would mount the griffin and the two would take flight, aiming to the east of the main entrance to Mordor and Sauron's tower. Hopefully, no one and nothing would notice them even though it was a clear and sunny day. But Susan trusted Borin to get them to Mount Doom undetected. She had hope that they would make it.

No, more than hope consumed her, but confidence and determination, as well.

The men in front of the pair mounted their horses and began to form ranks with Peter, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli at the front. At the same time, Susan jumped atop Borin's back and locked her hands securely in the soft down feathers at the griffin's neck. The creature stood up and spread his wings wide, ready to take flight.

"It is time, Borin. Are you ready?" Susan questioned.

"I am, my queen. Are you?"

Susan looked over at the men, locking eyes with her brother who gave her a reassuring smile that told her he knew they would be alright, that they would make it to then end. Just then, a small warmth of comfort ran through her stomach and filled her chest; it was the feeling she got before every battle when adrenaline began to take over her system. It was feeling that told her not to worry about the past or the future, but just worry about the battle in front of her.

Fight now, worry later- and that is what she planned on doing.

"Yes." Susan answered, turning her eyes from her brother to see Aragorn raising his sword and thrusting it forward through the army to tell the men it was time to ride out. "Let's go."

Borin began beating his wings, sending a rush of air to fly in Susan's face and whip her hair around her head. One second later, they had taken flight and were soaring about the White City, looking at the soldiers below that shrank smaller and smaller as their altitude grew. Soon enough, even they looked like ants in the distance and the only thing that stood clear in the distance was Mordor and Mount Doom.

* * *

Susan and Borin were perched on the top of a mount that stood on the outskirts of Mordor, waiting for the battle, which would drain the land of its soldiers, to begin. Their heads peaked over the top as they watched the small army from Gondor stop at the gates and wait. Susan was not sure how long it would be but she knew it could not be long. If Frodo was in Mordor and close to Mount Doom, like Gandalf believed, then there was no time to waste. She wanted to be there for the two hobbits, to help them.

Finally, the gates to Mordor begin to open in the distance and one lone, hooded rider appeared through the crack. Peter, Gandalf, Legolas, and Aragorn rode up to meet him and the group began to talk.

"What do you think they are speaking of?" Susan asked the griffin next to her.

"My guess would have to be if they truly want to do battle on this day, my queen. I would say the man of Mordor is taunting them because they have the advantage over our troops." Borin answered.

Susan nodded, seeing just as the rider pulled something shiny, dazzling in the sunlight, and showing it to the men before him. At first, she did not understand what it was. Perhaps a token from Sauron to cause further taunt? But then the man threw the shiny silver object at Gandalf and that was when Susan made the connection: it was Frodo's shirt made of Mithril, it had to be.

"No," She could not help but let the word slip out with her breath.

"Is there a problem, my queen?" Borin asked.

"That is Frodo's, what the man handed to Gandalf…we are too late." Susan looked down and put her head in her hands, willing herself not to shed tears. They could not have been too late; they would have known if they were, would they not?

"I do not know if that is true, my queen, but I do not think they are giving up yet." Borin said, calling her attention back up to see that Aragorn had rode up to the man on horseback and cut his head clear off his shoulders. The future king of Gondor rode back to the army, followed by his companions who had accompanied him up the gate. Aragorn faced his men and began speaking just as the gates of Mordor began to open wider and wider, readying to spill their armies out through it.

Susan and Borin waited a moment more, until the armies began to exit the land, before Susan mounted the griffin's back. With one final look at the flaming eye in the tower, making sure that his attention was indeed on the battle, Susan leaned down to instruct Borin.

"Fly east, Borin, and then take us around the back of the mountain. Fly high enough so that we will be engulfed in the smoke clouds…until then stay in the sun."

Borrin nodded. "Yes, my queen."

The next second, he took flight, doing as Susan instructed, keeping the sun at their backs so whoever looked up would be blinded and, hopefully, not detect their presence. Susan watched as the battle began while they soared high above, taking in the clashing armies where they met. She tried to catch sight of Peter but could not make out his form in the mass of men.

Soon enough, Borin made it into the cloud line and nothing could be seen two feet away from their faces. However, Susan could feel them slightly going to the right, knowing that he was trying to keep east as much as he possibly could. They traveled on in this manner for a while until Susan felt as if her lungs were burning from the smoke she was breathing in. The queen began coughing.

"Shall I fly below the clouds, your majesty?" Borin asked, sounds a little hoarse, himself.

"Are we close to the mountain?"

"I am not sure. The only way to check is to go below the clouds, risking exposure."

Susan thought for a moment, coughed, and spoke. "Okay, only for a moment if we are not close. Then we must come back up."

The griffins nodded and then slowly dipped just below the clouds so Susan could still reach up and have her hand disappear in the smoke. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the clear sky and take in their surroundings. The battle was now far behind then but they were still in front of the mountain. The queen's eyes went to look at the tower and saw that the eye of Sauron was still focused on the battle. They had two options at this point: either they land before the mountain, at its base, or go back up into the clouds to choke for a longer period of time and risk missing their mark. Susan made her decision quickly.

"Land at the base of the mountain, Borin! I shall hike up to the entrance from there."

The griffin listened to her words and swooped down swiftly to land as quickly as possible. Soon enough, they were landing at the foot of Mount Doom. Susan climbed off Borin's back and tried to gain her land legs back, taking her bow out and notching an arrow in the process.

"Are you sure you wish to venture the rest of the way alone, your majesty? There could still be dangers on your way up the mountain." Borin asked.

"Yes, I am sure, Borin. If you accompany me I will be more easily spotted. You must find somewhere to hide, whether that be here on the ground or in the sky, until I call for you to come and retrieve us." Susan explained, earning a nod from the griffin.

"As you wish, your majesty. Good luck." The noble creature bowed to her.

Susan smiled and patted him on the shouldered. "Thank you, my friend, you have done very well. Remember to stay hidden until I call for you."

The queen turned and began to make her way up the side of the mountain, grasping on to rocks with one hand and holding her bow with the other. The mountainside became steeper and steeper the further up she climbed and soon she began to tire. But with the entrance to the volcano looming above her she could not stop to rest; Susan was so close to Frodo, to Sam, to ending this whole war. The queen's breath became heavy and sweat poured down her face, the air was also filled with ash on the side of the mountain and soon her throat, lungs, and eyes began to burn.

Further and further up the mountain she traveled, turning only once to see how far she had progressed and how the battle was fairing outside of Mordor but it was still too chaotic to tell who was winning and who was losing, who would survive and what was left of them. Susan wiped her brow with the back of her dirt-streaked hand and continued on the last leg of her journey upwards.

The passage into the middle of the volcano was now only fifty yards away, then forty, then thirty. Just when Susan thought her lungs were going to explore she came to the landing ten feet below the passage and stopped, leaning heavily against the mountain to catch her breath. The girl notched an arrow as she turned to survey what lay above her. But it was strange, she found that no one was standing there nor could any voices be heard. Surely if Frodo and Sam had made it there would be some sign of them, would there not be?

Susan's heart dropped as she realized that Frodo truly could have been captured and executed. It was a possibility but she did not know for sure. The only way that she would get an answer to her question was by entering Mount Doom and seeing if the hobbits were there, if there were any traces that they had been close to destroying the ring.

Cautiously, the queen began to approach the entrance, looking around her all the while to make sure that no one was drawing near. She climbed the last steep rock wall until she was level with the entrance. Just as she pulled herself up, she heard a scream roar from the interior of the mountain. A far off screech followed before a spot light fell on Susan's face. The queen had to hold up her hand to shield her eyes as looked up to see that Sauron had his fiery eye trained on her. Almost instantly, the words she had heard course through her head before, the first time she had met Sauron, taunting her, and saying "I see you."

The queen looked away from the eye when more screeching could be heard from the direction of the battle. Susan's eyes widened as she saw the group of Ring Wraths abandoning their position as the aerial attack on the armies of Gondor and start riding towards the mountain.

There was not much time left. Sam and Frodo were within the mountain and their only hope of ever coming out was destroying the ring before the Ring Wraths made it to them.

Susan turned away from the inevitable attack and ran straight into the passage that led to the fiery cavern. The queen took note that, upon entering the volcano, there was nowhere to go except a narrow stone walkway that hovered over the very center of the lake of lava. Smoke and heat radiated off the wall and her skin, the only lighting came from the fire and lava below her feet.

Susan ran further in and gave a sign of relief when she saw Sam standing in the middle of the stone ledge. "Sam!" She called, running up to the hobbit and kneeling down before him, hugging him. "Oh, Sam. Thank Aslan!"

The hobbit seemed confused for a moment. "Miss Susan? You are here?" He asked, his eyes only staying connected to hers for a second before they began to dart around wildly.

"Yes, Sam. I am here. I have come to help. Where is Frodo?"

The hobbit looked at her and shook his head. "He was consumed by the ring, Miss Susan. I tried to stop him but he put it on. I am so sorry. I have failed."

Susan shook her head. "No, you did not. We just have to find him, force him to take it off and all will be well. I promise, Sam." The woman stood up and began looking around. "Now, where was the last place you saw him?"

Just as the words left her mouth, she looked down to see feet marks appearing in the dirt on the pathway, coming towards her and Sam. "Sam, he's coming towards you." She informed quietly to the hobbit that stood behind her.

But her statement was not answered with words but a loud bang that vibrated against the rock walls. The queen spun to see Sam on the ground, unconscious. Susan did not even have time to register what was happening when she felt a sharp pain puncture her abdomen. Susan was stunned when she looked down at the creature that stood holding her bloodied blade in his hands. The queen put her hand to her stomach and instantly felt the hot, sticky liquid drench her fingers.

* * *

Peter watched helplessly as the Ring Wraths flew straight to Mount Doom, straight to his sister and the hobbits. Something was very wrong at the volcano, he could tell. But there was nothing he or anyone could do to stop it. It was in Susan's hands now to handle the situation in Mount Doom despite how much he hated her being there alone.

"Peter!" The king heard Aragorn calling his name out from somewhere within the depths of the battle.

Peter finished off the opponent in front of him, slicing the beast across its throat, and turned to see the man of Gondor waving to him as attempt to get his attention. "Reform the ranks! Reform the ranks! We are surrounded and need to regroup!"

Peter nodded, before slicing into another orc in front of him. "Reform ranks!" He called to the men of Rohan. "Reform ranks!"

Slowly, but surely the men began to finish off their current opponents and reform considerably smaller ranks, readying themselves for the next wave of attacks.

Peter stood before his men, flanked by a bloodied Eomer. He took the opportunity to take a deep breath and look back up at the mountain where the Ring Wraths were beginning to descend.

_Aslan, help them. _He silently sent the request to the Great Lion.

"I'd follow you to the ends of the earth, my king."

Peter was pulled out his prayer by Eomer, the man who had taken little interest in him since his rise to power. The boy knew that Eomer would have been the rightful king if he had not showed up and never blamed him for being anger with both his uncle and Peter.

Peter looked over at Eomer and nodded.

"And I'd do the same for you, Eomer. We are knights of Rohan, brothers." The king explained, earning a nod in return. Peter took one more deep breath before thrusting his sword in the air. "For Middle Earth!"

Cheers erupted from the army of men behind him and then it was time, once again, to fight.

* * *

Susan was aware that she had been stabbed; she was aware that she was loosing blood; she was also aware that Gollum had turned his attention away from her once she had fallen to her knees.

Susan watched as the footprints stopped in the dirt as Frodo paused to take in the sight of his best friend and the queen; but it was hesitation enough for Gollum to jump on his back and begin to struggle for the ring.

The queen gripped her bow, reminding herself that it was still there, and lifted it up to take aim at the creature. The scene in front of her was spinning as she tried to take aim at Gollum's head and avoid an invisible Frodo at the same time. She bit down on her lower lip before releasing her red-feathered arrow.

But it missed its intended mark. Instead of striking the creature in the head it hit him in the arm, causing it to scream out in pain. Still it did not relinquish its hold on Frodo and the hobbit began to scream in protest.

Susan stood up, hunched over with her free hand on her stomach to stanch the blood flow and the pain, and started to make her way over to the struggling pair. The volcano was spinning around her as she watched Gollum appear to be biting something and then instantly Frodo was visible again. The hobbit screamed out in pain as he held onto the nub, which used to be his finger.

"Frodo!" Susan called out as she started running over to him despite the protests of her body. She knelt down in front of him and took his tiny hand in her own. She looked from the hobbit to the creature that stood behind him, gazing adoringly at that his life's obsession. "Frodo, you have to finish this. I cannot do it for you. It is your task to destroy it." She paused as she took the hobbit's face in her own bloodied hands. "Destroy it and be free of its evil. You must do this!"

The hobbit looked at her for a moment, forgetting all about his finger, before nodding slowly and turning to look at Gollum. The creature stood at the edge of the pathway, not even aware that lava or enemies surrounded him; he only had eyes for his precious, the ring, and jumped up and down in victory.

Frodo began to walk towards the thing, and then running, before he met him and the two started to struggle once more. Susan slumped back to her knees. "Destroy it, Frodo!" She called weakly as they continued.

The hobbit looked back at her once, catching her eye, and nodding. Susan was not sure what the hobbit's aim was for doing this, perhaps to thank her or to scold her for coming and ruining his escape with the ring. But Susan found out only too soon what the nod meant.

The next second, Frodo pushed Gollum with such force that both hobbit and creature went tumbling off the edge. Susan screamed at the same time that a now awake Sam did. The two half crawled, half ran over to the edge and leaned over to see Gollum falling, falling down into the depths of the volcano with the ring clutched in his hand and landing in the river of lava below. The creature smiled as he died, holding his precious that survived a few seconds longer than he did. The ring went white-hot once in hit the lava and began to melt.

It was over. But, then again, it was not over.

The entire time they watched as Gollum fell there was no sign of Frodo, no indication that he had tumbled to his death.

"Frodo!" Sam called as he leaned over the ledge further.

Susan leaned over the ledge more, as well, and could make out curly brown hair sticking up from halfway down the rock. "Sam! He's there!" Susan called, pointing to the spot.

The hobbit went to reach down for his hand. "Give me your hand!" He called to his friend. "Take my hand!"

Susan saw that he could not reach him and instantly grabbed Sam's feet and lowered him down the ledge farther. The queen's torso cried out in pain as it rubbed against the molten rock and strained to keep hold of Sam but she clenched her teeth and would not let it take over her. They still had to get Frodo.

"No!" She heard Sam cry as Frodo's bloody hand slipped out of his.

Susan's heart stopped at the thought of him almost falling and lowered Sam down a little further. This motion, however, was causing the queen to start sliding against the rock. "Hurry, Sam! I cannot hold on much longer!"

"Give me your hand!" Sam called one more time. There was a slight pause. "Don't you let go. Don't you dare let go."

A slight grunt could be heard as Frodo reached up one more time to take Sam's hand; Susan waited, still sliding, to hear from Sam if he had hold of Frodo yet or not. A second that felt like an hour passed by as Susan waited.

"I've got him!" Sam called and without a second's hesitation the queen began to pull the pair of hobbits back up onto the walkway. Her torso was on fire and screaming in protest but she kept pulling, telling herself that this would all be over soon…it would all be over soon.

Finally, Sam was entirely on the walkway and Susan let go of his legs to go and take one of Frodo's hands. She had just managed to reach the dangling hobbit when rocks began to fall from further up the volcano and the lava below them started to bubble.

The ring had been destroyed then. It was gone.

At that very moment she heard Sauron screech from his tower lair halfway across the land of Mordor and her suspicions were confirmed.

Susan put all of her energy into hauling the Halfling up. The two kept pulling and pulling until finally Frodo was on the walkway with them. Susan looked up to see that the mountain was beginning to explode, going down with its master and they only had a matter of seconds get out of the volcano before they were taken down also.

Susan grabbed one of Frodo's arms and Sam grabbed the other and together the three of them began running for their lives, the walkway collapsing right under their feet.

* * *

Peter stood with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimili, and Gandalf as they watched the Eye of Sauron fall and then implode, taking out the lands of Mordor with it. The earth itself was collapsing from under the tower and the army of orcs was following into the deep abyss.

"Frodo!" Merry's voice could be heard from somewhere within the ranks of men, screaming his friend's name in victory. "Frodo!"

Peter looked over to Aragorn and clapped his shouldered. "They did it." His tone was relieved, knowing that the hobbits and his sister had fulfilled their mission and destroyed the ring. The king smiled. "They did it!"

Aragorn smiled back, looking back up at the falling tower that had captivated all of their attentions.

Suddenly, a large boom sounded from Mount Doom, followed by rock and lava spurting from its side; the mountain itself was collapsing. Another boom followed as more of the volcano fell and Peter had a sinking feeling in his gut that Frodo, Sam, and Susan did not make it out. The king fell to his knees as he watched the volcano spit rock and lava into the air and watch as it rained down on the ground below.

The boy dropped his sword but could not drop his gaze.

"No! No!" Pippin's cries could only barely be heard against the background of cheers. Peter looked back to see that Pippin was not the only one who had been moved by the volcano's explosion. Merry stood beside his friend with an arm around his shoulders and Peter saw that Legolas, too, had been brought to his knees by the shock of it all.

The two men met gazes filled with nothing by numb expressions and said nothing.

Peter never liked the elf, that much was sure, but in this moment of death and destruction they were the same person, taking in the shock of knowing that death had come to a loved one. Gimli put his hand on Legolas's shoulder at the same time Aragorn came and helped Peter to his feet.

The man of Gondor, like Peter and Legolas, had a numb look on his face that expressed all the grief that sadness could not.

They had won the day but it had cost them the lives of those they loved. Not only Susan, but Sam and Frodo, as well.

"They are dead." Peter said the words out loud, getting used to the taste of them in his mouth. "My sister is dead, isn't she?" The boy's eyes went back up to meet Aragorn who only nodded slowly. "She is dead." Peter said again.

Saying something that you find completely and utterly impossible makes it easier to be real, easier to be accepted. Peter slumped back to his knees, screaming in outrage until his lungs could not scream any longer. He took a few deep breaths before noticing that the men around him had grown silent, as well.

It was because their heroes were gone. The ones who saved them all were dead.

Peter hung his head yet again, not able to look at any of them in the eye because all hope had been lost for him.

That is, until he heard the one sound in the entire world that he thought he would never hear again. Peter shot up from his position on the ground when he heard the sound of a horn blaring from somewhere within the depths of Mordor, the sound of a horn he knew all too well…

The boy smiled and looked over at Aragorn. "Susan."

* * *

Sam, Frodo, and Susan lay on a large boulder, above the sea of lava that was flowing on the lower level rocks, as Susan blew her horn loud, hoping for Borin to come at any moment.

Now that they had a moment to rest, Susan now felt the extent of her injuries. The wound in her stomach was bleeding much too much, making her feeling dizzy and light headed, and Frodo was not any fairing much better. They needed assistance now if they wanted to live.

"It's over." Sam kept repeating. "It's over now."

Susan stopped blowing on the horn and took a moment to breath but not able to catch her breath due to the pain that shot through her stomach every time she tried to take in air. Her head lulled over to the side to see Frodo laying down next to her, staring into her startling blue eyes. "Thank-thank you." He managed to get out, the normal look returning to his eyes. The queen could not remember the last time Frodo looked like that, looked like he held good in him instead of the burden of evil. He was back to himself. He was free and so were the rest of them.

The queen smiled and reached out to take his hand. "You are most welcome, Ring Bearer."

"Miss Susan, you are bleeding!" Sam exclaimed, sitting up now and examining the wound in her abdomen. Frodo too lifted his head to look her over but he was in a weakened state, as well, and could manage only that.

Quickly, Sam ripped a section from the bottom of his shirt and pressed it against the stab wound. The queen hissed but did little else for she did not have the energy to.

A far off cry from Borin called Susan's attention upwards to see that he was not alone but accompanied by four large eagles, two of which had riders: one was Gandalf, the other Peter.

The two free eagles soared down, one picking up Sam in his talons, the other picking up Frodo, leaving Susan on the rock alone for a second while both Gandalf and Peter's eagles landed. Susan watched as Peter slide from the large eagle's back and came to rest on the stone next to her. Gandalf stayed astride his creature.

"Sue, Sue? Can you hear me?" He asked, taking his sister's head by the back of the neck and lifting her up.

"Yes, Peter, I am stabbed, not deaf." The queen said weakly, chuckling slightly but wincing with the effort.

Peter dismissed his sister's words and instead looked down at her wound. He removed the makeshift bandage to see how bad her injuries were; the king clenched his teeth when he saw that it was a fatal blow his sister had been dealt. "Come, we've got to get you back to the men for medial attention." The boy started lifting his sister but she protested.

"No, Peter. Please don't." She breathed out. "I-I am dying. I know that."

The eldest Pevensie pursed his lips, trying to fight back the tears that were fighting their way to his eyes. "No, Susan. You are going to be fine, do you understand me?" He paused as he pressed his hand against Susan's wound and making an attempt to stop the blood.

"Peter, it is going to all right. I am not afraid." The girl smiled back up at him.

The tears burst forth from Peter's eyes at that moment and he could not help but sob. He looked away from his sister and to Gandalf. "Is there anything you can do?"

The wizard's expression was grief stricken, as he shook his head 'no'.

At that answer Peter's sobs grew and he shook his head fiercely. "I will not let you die, Susan. It is not an option for me to watch you die." The boy picked her up, cradling her gently as he placed her on top of the eagle and slide on beside her. "Take us back to the battlefield to see the healer." He instructed, turning his gaze to Gandalf.

Both Susan and the wizard knew it was going to do no good to let the battle field healer see her but she would not argue with her brother for he is the one who was going to have to live with this death, not her. Susan knew if it were the other way around she would do anything and everything in her power to save Peter before giving up on him.

The king cradled his little sister in his tight grasp as they flew the short distance from the rock near Mount Doom to the fronts of the battle field where the men were resting a while for their return journey to Gondor. The eagle landed on the front lines where Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Eomer were joined in conversation. All men stopped and stared as Peter slide down from the eagle's back, holding his sister's still body in his arms.

Aragorn and Legolas exchanged a look, both knowing what was going on, before running forward to meet Peter. Somewhere in the background, Gimli could be heard shouting for the doctor.

Peter fell to the ground, holding Susan in his arms, as Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, and Gandalf gathered around the Great Defenders. Peter's face was tear stricken and Susan's looked pale and peaceful. They were all still and quiet as they looked at the fading queen.

"Frodo and Sam-?"

"They are on their way to Gondor, my lady." Gandalf assured her. "They are safe, thanks to you."

Susan smiled weakly. "That is good. I am glad."

Her eyes turned from Gandalf to look at Aragorn and Legolas, both somber and unbelieving. "I am sorry I will not be there for you, Aragorn, and for Gondor. I do love the White City so and did want to see it flourish under your rule."

He took her hand in his and shook her head. "Though you did not get to rule officially, you were still Queen of Gondor, Susan."

Susan nodded slightly. "Promise me you will marry Arwen, Aragorn. Be in love. You so deserve it, my most beloved friend. Thank you for your kindness and friendship. You shall never know what it means to me."

Susan smiled and turned her blue eyes to Legolas who looked as if he too had been stabbed and was dying. "I think I shall miss you most of all." She admitted, reaching up and taking the elf's cheek in her hand. "You have taught me so much, Legolas, and I never got the opportunity to thank you." She paused as the elf reached up and took her hand in his, a single tear running down his flawless face and shattering his normally hard exterior. "You brought me back to life, showed me that losing love is better than never having loved at all…thank you."

"Susan, don't go." The elf pleaded, putting her hand against his forehead and closing his eyes. "What grace has given me let it pass to her. Let her live." The words were whispered under his breath so quietly that Susan barely heard them.

Susan looked up at him and shook her head. "I am not afraid to die."

The queen's eyes drifted away from the elf and towards her brother one last time. "Once a King or Queen of Narnia…"

"Always a King or Queen of Narnia." Peter finished as silent tears ran down his cheeks.

"We shall see each other again, Peter. I do not doubt it…have faith and take care of them, King of Rohan." Susan explained, her breaths coming shallow now. "You are my best friend, Peter, and I love you."

"I love you too, Sue. I love you too." Peter whispered back.

Susan smiled up at her brother. "I shall see you in Aslan's country, dear brother."

Susan felt as her body began to go weightless, as if she were about to float away. She looked up into the bright, clear sky that had followed the fall of Sauron, watching as an eagle soared high above her.

Yes, the war was over, the battle won. Her friends and loved ones had made it through to watch the Golden Age arise under the rule of Aragorn and Peter. Queen Susan the Gentle, a Great Defender of Middle Earth, had done what she needed to do to ensure that this world would go on, that this world would live.

With her last breath, Susan chuckled, knowing that with her death new, free life would be birthed into the lands of Middle Earth.

Just as the eagle above her, Susan's soul took flight, soaring on the winds in the bright blue sky, never to return.

Peter Pevensie sobbed once as he closed his sister's unmoving eyes and leaned down to place his head on top of hers.

Legolas still sat holding her hand in his, asking the gods to give his grace to her, to let her live.

Aragorn simply looked on, completely speechless, as the Gentle Queen moved on from this world to the next.

But Gandalf turned from the scene of the men hovering over the fallen woman and looked into the sun, his eye on the eagle as it flew further and further into the distance, away from the carnage and blood from the battle, in search of another place filled with new hopes and new life.

* * *

**Okay, so let me just tell you that the name of the story is called The Chronicles of Life and Death…with life, we have to expect death. I did not plan on doing this, believe me, but I think it speaks wonders for Susan's character and reinforces the idea that people died for freedom for their families and their countries…Anyway, I'm not going to tell you what happens in the next chapter so don't ask. Lol But please let me know what you think. I'm seriously curious to know! Thank you for reading! **


	31. Author's Note

**Hello dear readers! I've noticed in a lot of your reviews (Thank you for those by the way. I really appreciate them!) that you think the story is over…well it's not! I plan on one writing one more chapter for the story. I couldn't leave it like that! How awful do you think I am? Lol I understand now that my author's note at the beginning of the last chapter might have made it seem like that and I am sorry for the confusion. So keep an eye open for the next (and this time last!) chapter of The Chronicles of Life and Death! **


	32. The Tide That Left And Never Came Back

**Hey guys! So this is it! Wow, I can't believe it! I have been working on this story for over two years now and it is finally finished. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you. **

**Okay, I'll rant more later. Go on and read it, already!**

* * *

The days following Susan's death were solemn for not only for the remaining members of the Fellowship but also for the rest of Middle Earth. Their Great Defender, Peter's beautiful sister had departed from this world and left an entire world grieving for her. It was only fitting for a queen such as Susan.

But Peter did not see it this way.

No, he was angry at this world; the world that had ripped his family completely apart. No longer was he with Edmund and Lucy, no longer was Susan alive because of this place. It was all he could do to tolerate the thought of Rohan, let alone rule it. Eomer had gone back to Rohan and taken control of the country until Peter returned from Aragorn's coronation, which was supposed to take place later that day. But Peter was not sure he would want to return to Rohan. After all, it would only bring him anger and awful memories.

So, now, to keep the memories at bay, Peter spent much of his time in the practice field, swinging his sword at the mass amount of dummies provided. He would imagine them to be the creature who killed his sister and slice them open, over and over again, until sweat ran down into his eyes, stinging them, and his arms grew so tired and weak he could not even lift his sword anymore.

He dropped the sword to the ground and took his fists to the dummies instead, punching them over and over until blood ran down their faces. Of course, this blood was his instead of his opponents but it felt good for Peter to just make something, anything, hurt.

"Easy there, lad." A voice, Gimli's, said from behind him.

Peter threw one more punch before turning around to see not only the dwarf but also Aragorn and Legolas. Both of the men looked tired and worn just like Peter did.

Peter took several deep breaths as he glared at the three companions before him. "What do you want?"

"We are checking in. No one has seen you since yesterday morning." Aragorn said.

Peter shook his head, feeling angry again, before turning back and starting to punch the dummy again. "Been here. I am fine. You do not need to check in on me…I am not a child."

"Then stop acting like one." Aragorn answered with a slight hiss in his voice.

Peter relinquished his attack on the dummy and turned on Aragorn. He ran up to the man, grabbed the collar of his tunic, and pinned him against the target behind him. "I lost my sister and my best friend all in one day. I am in pain and I will act however the bloody hell I want to." The Pevensie snarled at the man in his grasp. "Remember, Aragorn, that I am a king and you still are not…you will mind the way you talk to me." Peter shoved Aragorn away from him before turning, grabbing his sword, and start to leave the field.

"You think that you are the only one who is hurting!" Legolas shouted at his retreating back.

Peter paused. If it had been Aragorn he would have kept walking but since the elf, shouting in rage, showed more emotion that Peter had ever heard from him then he felt he must turn to look at him. "I'm sorry?"

Legolas's usually pale face held a red tint of anger and his fists were clenched at his sides. "Do you think you are the only one who is feeling this lose, Peter? Do you honestly think you are the only one who cared for Susan? Everyone loved Susan…who could not? We have accepted the pain and embraced the grief that has come with her passing." He paused, shaking his head. "But you are a fool. You hide your grief with your anger and that is not reasonable."

Peter chuckled humorlessly before stomping back over to the elf and leaning in close. "You think that I am hiding my grief, my sadness? Let me tell you something: I am not sad. I am furious! She was not supposed to die! That was not in the prophecy! She was supposed to become Queen of Gondor and she never was! You, all of you, are liars. You lied to get us to help you and now because of your damn world she is dead!"

"Peter, she was a Queen of Gondor." Aragorn cut in. "She might not have worn the crown but she was the queen to these people…she loved them and they loved her in return…the people of Gondor are grieving over the lose of their queen, not over the lose of their Great Defender."

"How noble of them." Peter spit at Aragorn before turning back to Legolas. "And you, you are the greatest liar of them all, are you not? You who says that you have accepted my sister's fate yet I have seen you at her grave every night since we put her in that sarcophagus. You who says that you feel grief but no anger." Peter paused, getting closer in Legolas's face. "You feel angry, do you not? You professed to love her yet all you feel is sadness? Do your people even know how to love? Because, if you did, you would be angry. She was taken from you, not once but twice. Once when she was to be married to Aragorn and again when you lost her forever. So, elf, tell me did you love my sister? Or was that just another lie that helped bring about her downfall?"

The next second, before Peter even knew what happened, Legolas reached up and punched the king straight across the face hard enough for him to be swept off his feet. Peter's hand went instinctively to his jaw, testing it to see if it was still connected, as Legolas crotched down to glare into his eyes. "Do not ever insinuate that I did not love Susan, my king."

Legolas stood back up and stormed off before Peter could even regain his footing.

The king stood up and took a fuming breath.

"That was cruel, lad." Gimli spoke up, causing Peter to spin back and see that Aragorn and the dwarf were still there. "He loved that girl more than you will ever know…he gave up his immortality for her." The dwarf shook his head once before walking past Peter to follow his friend.

This now just left Aragorn to answer Peter's question. "What did he mean by that? That he gave up his immortality for her?"

Aragorn looked down, trying to find the words to explain. "Do you remember when Susan was dying, the words that Legolas was speaking? About letting whatever grace he possessed pass to her?"

Peter thought for a moment before remembering the elf holding his sister's hand and whispering, then nodded.

"He was trying to transfer his immortality—his magic- to her, Peter, so that she would live. But it was too late…she was already too far gone. But still he had given up his immortality to save her…because he loved her, Peter." Aragorn paused, coming over to place a hand on a baffled Peter's shoulder. "Legolas is hurting, Peter, but not because he lost his immortality…he is angry with himself because he could not save her." Aragorn sighed. "Legolas is working through it though, moving on to the Undying Lands, because it is what he must do. You, too, must move on with your life, Peter. Susan would not want you to dwell on what happened to her. In fact, I think she would be quite angry with you for the way you are acting."

Peter chuckled. "_Peter, honestly, do not worry about me. I can take care of myself whether I am alive or not." _He said the words to mimic Susan, earning a smile from Aragorn.

"She would want you happy."

The Pevensie took a deep breath, knowing that Aragorn was right. "You said that Legolas was moving on to the Undying Lands? What are those?"

Aragorn shrugged. "No one really knows…but it will be good for him, that I am sure of."

Peter nodded slightly again. "You know, she would want you happy, too, Aragorn." Aragorn's face fell at Peter's words but he continued. "Marry Arwen. That is what you want."

Aragorn shook his head. "I could not, after what happened it would not be right."

"So you will be alone, against Susan's wishes, to honor her memory? That is foolish, Aragorn, and you know it." He paused as he watched Aragorn thinking it over in his head. Now, it was Peter's turn to shake Aragorn's shoulders. "Be in love! Do it for Susan if not for yourself…Susan always loved weddings…"

Aragorn smiled slightly and nodded. "Alright."

Peter nodded too. "Good."

In that moment, Peter felt almost human for the first time since loosing his sister. Yes, he was grief-stricken. Yes, he was angry, but now it all seemed bearable. He needed a good shake and punch in the face to prove to him that just because Susan was dead it did not mean that he had also died.

Peter was human.

Peter was a king.

Peter was a Great Defender.

And now, Peter was going to be all right.

* * *

It was late that night, after the coronation and the ball had concluded. Aragorn was officially king of Gondor and the people of the White City finally felt able to find sleep and relaxation with that knowledge to comfort them. All was quiet while Peter walked through the streets of the city, heading to his sister's grave. Normally the people were buried in the cemetery outside of the city walls but not Susan; she was given a queen's burial. She was given a queen's burial in the crypt at the highest level of the city.

Peter's mind was quiet, still, for the first time since his sister left him and he felt that it meant he was at a turning point and coming to a new chapter in his story. But this time his story would not include his siblings; it would be a story all his own.

Peter arrived at the crypt and walked in slowly, knowing he would see the man who had been there every night since Susan's death. Sure enough, the king rounded the corner to see Legolas standing next to the sarcophagus, not praying or speaking, not even showing much emotion, as usual. But Peter had a nagging feeling that it was not that Legolas did not feel the emotions, more that he felt numb and unable to fully embrace what had happened no matter how much he said that he had.

"I am sorry, my friend. Please forgive me for the way I acted earlier today." Peter said as he came to rest next to the elf, staring down at his sister's resting place.

"There is nothing to forgive, my king." Legolas told him. A small silence pasted between the men before the elf spoke again. "I am sorry that I could not save her in time."

Peter turned away from his sister's sarcophagus to look at the elf standing next to him. "What are you talking about? How could you have saved her?"

The elf did not look at Peter but continued still to stare. "I tried to give her my immortality…it would have been able to save her but I was not fast enough. It was too late and I was not fast enough." Legolas looked at the King beside him with sad blue eyes. "I am sorry."

Peter was not sure how to react to hearing these words come out of the elf's mouth. He had given up his eternal life for his sister's; Legolas was willing to risk his destiny for that of Susan's. The eldest Pevensie could not have been more grateful to the man standing next to him. Yes, the two had never been friends. Yes, Peter never trusted the man who held his sister's heart. Yes, he despised the fact that Susan would risk her heart again for him. Yes, they would never be more than companions, first for the Fellowship and now for grief over Susan.

But Peter was grateful to Legolas. He respected him. And right now, right this instant, he would forget everything that happened and become understanding and sympathetic. Just as Susan would have wanted it.

"Her life was not yours to save, Legolas. It was mine. She was my baby sister and I was supposed to protect her…but I could not." Peter took a deep breath and ran both of his hands over his face. "I feel guilt over her death, same as you do…we cannot dwell on it for the rest of our lives, though, for it will tear us to shreds from the inside."

Peter patted Susan's coffin and nodded. "I thank you for trying to save her, Legolas." The boy paused, thinking back to when he and Susan were leaving Narnia the last time, when Aslan told them they would never be returning. "It was not how I thought this whole journey would end, either. But, alas, it is the ending of the Fellowship's story and we must move forward to start our own, individual tales…if we stop moving forward we stop our destinies."

"And you are destined to do much more good, your majesty, I am sure of it." Legolas said with a small shadow of a smile. The elf turned to the king and clasped his forearm in the traditional elfish handshake. "I am leaving for the Undying Lands in the morning so I believe this will be goodbye. We will not see each other again."

Peter nodded to the elf before him. "Good luck in your new life, Legolas. Though I never showed it, I am afraid, I felt honored to fight along side of you."

"The honor was all mine, Great Defender." Legolas nodded before letting go of Peter's arm, turning, and walking out of tomb.

Peter sighed, running his hands through his hair, before going over to sit against a nearby marble pillar. The man was still wide-awake and he feared that sleep would never find him again.

The man stared at Susan's coffin for what felt like days, not thinking, not feeling, just looking. It felt good, he thought, to not feel anger or sadness but instead nothing. It was not ideal and he realized that this lack of feeling would not last long but it was something that was easier to cope with. He was not sure when, but he felt his eyes begin to drift closed, now too tired to even stand, and fell asleep against the column on which he was leaning.

Peter was not sure how long he had been asleep before something, a thunderous, noise woke him with a jolt. The king stood instantly, drawing his sword at the same time, and gazing around the tomb for the sound's source.

When he realized nothing was there, Peter took several deep breaths before replacing his sword in its hold on his hip. The man chuckled humorously at himself, feeling foolish that he must have only dreamed of the noise and it still scared him so awfully. Peter shook his head, turning back around to the interior of the tomb toward his sister's coffin.

His face fell at what he saw.

His heart paused completely at the sight in front of him.

Cautiously, Peter took several steps towards Susan's sarcophagus and peered into the cracked marble lid. He was not sure what he expected to see but when he saw that the coffin was completely empty, lacking Susan's body, the king felt unbelieving.

Susan had been dead.

Susan had been buried.

Just as Aslan's table had cracked with the Great Lion's resurrection so had Susan's eternal resting place when she had been brought back from death.

Peter smiled at the knowledge that his sister was alive. Perhaps not in this world—in fact, he was sure she was not here—but somewhere she was living and breathing. His unbelieving wonder was then replaced with pure, ecstatic joy.

"Thank you, Aslan." He whispered the words into the air. "Thank you."

The man ran out of the tomb then, in search of Aragorn and Legolas. It was early morning and the White City was just beginning to stir with the slow rising of the sun. Peter found Aragorn quickly enough, dressing in his chamber and getting ready for the day.

The king shared the news with Aragorn, who was as astonished, if not, more so, than Peter was. Both of the men ran back to the tomb and sure enough the coffin was still cracked and empty; he had not imagined it and Susan was still alive.

"I will never cease to be amazed by the magic of universe." Aragorn said as he ran his hand over the crumbling lid.

"Where is Legolas? He must know!" Peter asked, readying himself to run and find him also.

Aragorn took a deep breath and shook his head slowly. "He has already sailed with the tide…it is too late. He shall never know what has occurred here."

"There has to be a way." Peter said, feeling his stomach drop at the thought that Legolas would be living out his life thinking that Susan had died when really she lived. It did not seem fair that they should be allowed to know of this discovery but the elf should not.

Aragorn shook his head again. "I am afraid there is not. Legolas is beyond our world now, gone somewhere where we cannot follow."

"So he will live out his life ignorant of this?" It was Peter's turn to shake his head.

Peter waited for an answer but when he did not hear one he turned back to Aragorn to see that the man was staring blankly into space, lost in his own thoughts. "Aragorn? What is it?"

Aragorn blinked a couple of times before looking at the king. "I was just thinking that Legolas is mortal now."

"Yes, I realize that he will not need to live without knowing that Susan is alive for an eternity but he will still-"

"No, that is not what I mean." Aragorn said slowly, still figuring out what he, himself, was thinking. "The Undying Lands are meant for immortals…where they will live out the rest of eternity together."

"And?" Peter questioned, still not sure what the man was thinking about.

"And Legolas is not an immortal anymore."

Peter was silent as he processed the information just given to him. The Undying Lands were for those who did not die. Legolas was now mortal…bound to die in time. "So what you are saying is that he will not be allowed into the Undying Lands…" Aragorn nodded slowly. "So, if he will not live out his life in the Undying Lands then where will he be sent?"

Aragorn was quiet for a second before he looked up at the King of Rohan with a large smile across his face. "I think I have an idea."

It then clicked in Peter's mind, as well. Legolas will not be sent to the Undying Lands with the immortals. He will go somewhere else—to the land ruled by those who are mortal. A land that Peter knew very, very well.

The kings smiled at each other then, before starting to laugh out loud.

"Talk about a change of destiny." Peter said through a fit of hysterical, joyful laughter.

Aragorn shook his head again, still smiling. "No, Peter, I think this is how it was supposed to be all along." He paused as they began walking out of the tomb and watched as the sun finally rose fully over the horizon, signaling a brand new day. "These are the destinies we were all supposed to have, my friend, and I think it is only now that we have become fully aware of them." Aragorn looked over at Peter. "It is a new era, King Peter, are you ready to help shape it?"

Peter nodded to his comrade, to his friend. "Yes, I think I am; after all, it cannot be harder than the era we just brought an end to, now could it?"

Both men laughed again as they started walking back to the Great Hall, ready to greet the day and the new challenges that they would face.

The eldest Pevensie, High King Peter of Narnia, and now King Peter of Rohan smiled to himself as they walked.

Everything finally was as it should be.

* * *

When Susan died, she felt her spirit soar. High above the ground it flew over rivers, mountains, valleys, and oceans. She was not sure when she would come down, if ever, but sure enough she found herself back on land…well, not exactly.

Susan felt herself shoved back into her body. The queen waited as her eyes began to focus and her legs got used to carrying her weight again. She was not sure where she was just yet, all she knew is that she was leaning against a railing, feeling slightly off balance. Several seconds later her sight came back to her and Susan found herself looking out over a wide, expansive ocean before her. She looked behind her to see the large passenger ship, _The Sea Queen _that she remembered vaguely from what seemed a lifetime ago. Susan then remembered exactly when and where she was.

She was Susan Pevensie the girl, not the queen, dressed in a skirt and jumper.

She was aboard _The Sea Queen _with her parents.

She was traveling on the Atlantic, making way to America.

She was exactly where she had left off before leaving for Middle Earth.

Had no time at all truly passed since her time with the Fellowship? She had been in Middle Earth for over a year and yet _The Sea Queen _was still making her voyage. But, then again, she had spent twenty years in Narnia only to return seconds later in England. It was the way of the world, she supposed.

Another thought came to Susan's mind as she realized what had happened that brought her back to her time and place…the queen had died.

But how had she managed to die in one world only to survive in another? Was it Aslan who saved her or was it someone else? And if she was here then did that mean that Peter was back also? Or since he survived the war, did that mean he would be rewarded by being able to stay in Middle Earth and rule Rohan as his destiny called for? Where were Edmund and Lucy? Were they back from Narnia yet or were they still traveling the high seas with Caspian?

The thoughts and ideas only made her head spin and Susan had to grip the railing hard with one hand while the other went to her head. It was all too much and she was thinking too quickly. The girl had to silently tell her mind to slow down and take one question at a time. In a minute, though, because her head still continued to spin and she was not yet fully in tune with her body again. She turned back to the sea and gripped the railing with both hands again, closing her eyes and taking deep, calming breaths.

"Are you all right, miss?" A voice questioned from behind her.

The girl's eyes flew open, not wanting this person behind her to think anything was wrong. She did not turn back, however, because she knew she must look quite a mess with the dizzy sickness. "Yes, I am. Thank you."

"Are you quite sure?"

The voice was male and British, she decided, and quite unyielding. Susan bit her bottom lip, feeling annoyed that this person would not leave. She wanted peace to think freely. "I am. Thank you."

"Alright, then, miss. If you believe so..."

Susan spun around to see a man in his mid-forties with light brown hair and hazel eyes looking at her with concern, like a father might. The girl nodded again and put on a small smile. "I am. I appreciate your concern but I am fine. Truly."

The man nodded before tipping his hat at her. "Take care yourself, miss."

With those words the man left her, and she spun back around to the ocean before her. The queen took another deep breath.

"I am surprised that you kept your composure for if that were Peter he would have gotten a far worse scolding than that."

Susan froze as she heard that voice, that voice that had become so familiar to her. She wanted to turn around but she was too scared. What if he was not real, just a figment of her imagination?

Susan felt her heart thump against her chest as she decided what to do. "When I turn around," she said, "please still be there." The next instantly the girl spun to see a vaguely familiar man standing ten feet away from her on the deck. He was dressed in khaki pants and a light blue oxford, standing as tall as ever. His hair was much shorter, curling around his ears, and brown instead of long and blonde.

The only things that had not changed were his shocking blue eyes, bright as ever in the light of the setting sun.

Susan took a calculating step forward, still not entirely convinced that this was he, the man she thought he was. The girl tilted her head to the man as she studying him further. He did not speak as she slowly made her way over to him; he just watched her watch him. Finally, Susan came to stand in front of him, only six inches separating the pair. Slowly, ever so slowly, she reached her hand up to his face. Right before she made contact, she stopped.

"Is this a dream?" She whispered.

The man before her smiled slightly and shook his head. "No, it is not."

Susan's attention shifted back to her hand and slowly brushed her fingertips against his cheek. The girl gasped slightly before looking back into his eyes. "Legolas?" She questioned, needing even more conformation than this.

The man reached up and took her hand off his check and held it firmly in his own. He played with her fingers while he talked. "My name is actually Lief here…it was the closet we could get to my real name without having me stand out too much."

"But how?" Susan asked, still bewildered.

Legolas looked back up at her with a small grin. "I finally met the Great Lion," he told her. "He did this…for us."

Susan tilted her head to him, her eyes now wide. "You are staying? Here? On Earth?"

The man nodded. "I plan on it…that is, if you will have me."

Susan looked from Legolas's blue eyes to their entwined hands and then back again. A smile spread wide across her face. "Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes."

For the first time since they had met Susan saw Legolas—or, she supposed, Lief—allow himself to smile wide without holding back whatsoever. He looked genuinely happy as he leaned down and kissed Susan. He laughed as he swept her off her feet and twirled her around, making her laugh for first time since she can remember. He continued to smile as he placed Susan on her feet and kept one arm tightly wound around her waist.

No sadness resided in his eyes as he stared down at her like she had saved him somehow, like she was the reason he was allowing himself to feel so deeply. So, in that sense, Susan supposed that she had saved him, just as he had saved her.

They were both drowning before.

She felt too much and he felt too little.

But it would not be like that anymore, Susan knew.

All they would be feeling was utter happiness from now on.

* * *

It all started with a prophecy.

The Fellowship of the Ring destroyed Sauron, bringing about a new age in the history of Middle Earth—the Age of Men. The Ring of Power was destroyed, never allowed to spread its evil throughout the lands again.

With its destruction, two great kings from the race of Men took their rightful thrones and ruled Middle Earth during its most peaceful age since the beginning of time. With just and incorruptible virtues, they ruled the people and in turn they were loved and remembered for all the good they had accomplished. King Aragorn, The Ranger from the North and King Peter, the Great Defender turned Great King, became legends.

And Queen Susan the Gentle, the Great Defender and most beloved member of the Fellowship, became a beacon of good and peace throughout Middle Earth from the rest of time. Every year on the anniversary of her death, the people would assemble in the Great White City to watch as all the best archers in the world gathered with the leaders of each nation to take part in releasing one red feather-tipped arrow into the sky in memory of their departed queen.

Though she was no longer there physically, Queen Susan never left truly left Middle Earth behind her.

It all started with a prophecy.

And this is what became of it.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the final chapter and the story as a whole. You guys have been amazing readers and I truly appreciate you sticking with the story. Thank you so much for reading! I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to work on next (I know I am doing a sequel to my Narnia AU called The World as We Knew It) but I usually like to work on two stories so I have options…if you have any ideas let me know! Anyway, please tell me what you thought of the final chapter! Once again, you guys have been amazing and thank you so much for reading!**

**p.s the whole story kind of came to me after hearing the song "The Poison" by The All-American Rejects. you should check it out! lol**


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